The lifespan of a dental bridge is about 5 to 7 years.
Dr. Williams will examine your teeth and assess your oral health to determine if a dental bridge is the right option for you.
Before we prepare your teeth to receive a bridge, we will administer a local anesthetic to numb your mouth. You will also be given the option to be sedated during the appointment.
We need to place dental crowns over abutment teeth to anchor the bridge. To create enough space for these crowns, we will shave down and shape your teeth.
Impressions taken of your filed-down teeth will be sent to a dental lab that will fabricate your bridge. A temporary bridge will be placed in the meantime to help with functionality and aesthetics.
After a few weeks, your bridge will be ready at the office to check the fit and bond it to your teeth.
A traditional bridge is the standard type of dental bridge that most patients receive. To replace a missing tooth where there are teeth on either side of the gap, we will place dental crowns on these abutment teeth and a pontic tooth will be attached to the crowns in the middle to form a bridge. The teeth adjacent to the gap anchor the bridge and the pontic tooth replaces the missing tooth.
If there are only teeth on one side adjacent to the missing tooth, then a cantilever bridge will be needed. This places a dental crown on this abutment tooth that is next to the gap and suspends a pontic tooth next to it to fill in the missing tooth. Instead of two teeth anchoring the bridge, only one does. This is best suited for rear teeth.
This is also known as a resin-bonded bridge because instead of using crowns on adjacent teeth to anchor the bridge, wings made of metal or porcelain extend against the back of the teeth and are bonded in place. The wings are not visible from the front.
Much like a traditional bridge, two teeth next to the gap are used to anchor the bridge, but instead of using dental crowns, these teeth are replaced with dental implants. Crowns are attached to the implants and a pontic tooth is connected between them. This tooth replacement is very sturdy and prevents bone loss.
The implants in an implant-supported bridge last for 25 years to life with proper care. You will only need to replace the attached restoration.
The first CEREC crown was created in 1980.