Dental bridges are a fantastic, fixed solution to fill spaces where one or several teeth have been lost.
Gaps in your smile can cause cosmetic, bite, and dental disease problems. A bridge is a fixed appliance that fills these spaces, restoring your smile, oral health, and your confidence.
Problems if you leave gaps in your mouth:
- Over-eruption of opposing teeth into the space
- Twisting of the teeth next door into the space
- Food packing
- Remaining teeth left more prone to dental decay, gum disease and damage from excessive pressure being re-distributed to them
Benefits of Dental Bridges:
dental bridges
Restoring your smile
Restoring the ability to properly chew
improving speech and pronunciation
Maintaining the shape of your face (spacing in the mouth causes the face to sink in)
Re-adjusting your bite to properly distribute the force when you chew
Preventing your remaining teeth from moving out of the correct position
Four Main Types of Dental Bridges:
dental bridges

Traditional


Cantilever


Maryland


Implant-supported
Traditional dental bridge
A traditional dental bridge consists of a false tooth or teeth being held in place by dental crowns that have been cemented onto each of the teeth next to the space.
Cantilever dental bridge
Like a traditional bridge, the false tooth is only cemented onto one tooth next to the gap, this is good for single tooth replacements.
Maryland dental bridge
Maryland bridges use one or two natural teeth for support. However, while traditional/cantilever bridges use dental crowns on the support teeth, a Maryland bridge uses a wing made of either metal or zirconia that is bonded onto the backs of these support teeth.
Implant-supported dental bridge
Implant supported bridges use dental implants instead of teeth to support the false teeth. More missing teeth can be replaced this way, with no damage to your natural dentition as part of the process.
Considered the strongest and most stable system, an implant-supported bridge commonly requires a few more steps than tooth supported bridges.
I just love my new teeth, I have been telling everyone to visit The Courtyard Clinic for their dental work!
Bridge replacing the front teeth


The Courtyard Clinic Ethos
Dental Bridges
We believe in using treatment methods that are kind to teeth, strong and aesthetic.
A conventional dental bridge is usually fitted over two appointments:
1. Preparation of the tooth
If the tooth is suitable for a bridge a local anaesthetic will then be used if required and the tooth prepared gently for a bridge.
Usually, a digital iTero scan is taken of your existing tooth so that the bridge can be custom made by the laboratory to fit your mouth. We will take photos to get the aesthetics right.
A temporary crown is fitted and placed to protect the existing tooth between appointments.
2. Bridge fitting
How do we get the aesthetics right?
We use digital technology to ensure the fit is optimum. We conduct digital smile designs with our lab to mock up your new teeth to ensure the size and shape is in harmony with your other teeth.
During the appointment we use macro photography to highlight the fine characterisations of your other teeth to include in the lab made bridge if you are only having one or two made. We look at the fine detail such as colour transitions in your teeth, translucent areas, white flecks etc so we can include this in your crown, if you wish, so the new crown blends in seamlessly. However, if you are having several teeth supported by a bridge, we can alter the nature of your smile as it currently is to give you a smile upgrade you have always wished for!