Dental bridge is a more aesthetic and cosmetic process that a patient can select to receive, after they have lost a tooth or a few teeth. Instead of getting a removable denture whose retentive properties are not at all reliable, dental bridges can be recommend in order for the objective of the mouth can be precisely restored through the exemplary dental work. Dental bridges may be installed over natural teeth, so that the existing teeth can be used to support the artificial teeth; or they may be installed over dental implants, to cut costs. Regardless of what is under the dental bridges and what supports it, patients who come into the dental clinic have the option to choose between different types of dental bridges:
– Full coverage dental bridges: In a full coverage crown you can rely on retention, strength and function. Complete surface reduction is carried out so that the crowns cover the entire shape of the tooth, offering perfect function and stability. The assigning of abutments rely on Ante’s Law, so that the number of supporting teeth is strong enough to support the artificial teeth to be installed. This will result in the replacement of one or more teeth that have been lost.
– ¾ coverage dental bridges: Less invasive than a full coverage crown but is more retentive in so many ways compared to a Maryland Bridge where only one surface is covered. This leaves some teeth untouched, promoting health.
– Maryland dental bridges: A Maryland Bridge is as dental bridge that obtains support from a single surface, usually on the lingual where the components are not visible. Very little or no reduction is required in order for this to be carried out, so that the bridgework is less invasive compared to traditional dental bridges where reduction is required on all surfaces. Retention may be compromised, but when health and preservation is essential, this is the best option.
– Fiber-reinforced dental bridges: More appropriate as temporary bridge. It as able to replace lost teeth without requiring tooth reduction. The bridge is supported by the adjacent teeth and stability and strength is established through the fiber strands that are incorporated with the bridgework.
– Zirconium dental bridges: One thing that you have to know about dental bridges is that it needs to be reinforced by metal or some kind of metal because the metal is supposed afford the link between crowns (passing through edentulous areas). Traditional crows and bridges are fitted with metal but the most modern crowns now make use of zirconium which is a tooth-colored material with strength comparable to that of metal but with aesthetics likened to any existing tooth-colored material.
When you choose between the different options discussed above, you have to look into some things. You have to look into the number of remaining natural teeth that can be used as support or abutment, the position of the remaining teeth, the presence of any unnecessary forces such as bruxism and malocclusion. The decision will also involve the type of materials to be used, either porcelain, ceramic, composite, metal and so forth. The choice you make about dental bridges will define the kind of experience you enjoy.