What Are Dental Bridges?

If an accident or tooth decay has resulted in you having one or more missing teeth, your dentist may suggest a dental bridge as a possible solution for restoring your natural teeth. A dental bridge is a prosthetic appliance that is designed to replace a missing tooth or teeth and consists of an artificial pontic that is anchored to natural teeth (abutment teeth) on either side of the gap. The pontic covers the gap created by the missing tooth while being attached to the surrounding teeth, securing the dental bridge in your mouth.

Dental bridges are most commonly made from porcelain fused to metal, full porcelain or are dental implant-supported. There are four common types of dental bridges – traditional, cantilever, implant-supported and Maryland, each procedure requiring either dental crowns, dental implants, or a dental framework to function.