Dental Bridges

Are you embarrassed by gaps in your teeth? Would you like to have a complete smile without missing teeth? Dr. Keyes can make your smile whole again.

A dental bridge can fill spaces in a dental arch (top or bottom) by adding a false tooth (or teeth) and attaching it to two abutment teeth on the sides of the gap. A bridge is sometimes referred to as a denture and is more commonly made of porcelain, but are available in different materials. The color of the replacement teeth is matched to the remaining teeth so well that no one would even know you have dentures in your mouth.

There are four types of bridges available:

• Implant-supported: A bridge that is supported by implants is the most stable and most durable option available. A bridge is suspended across two implants and crowns. It takes longer to complete the attachment of this type of bridge.

• Cantilever: Using a single cemented crown, the bridge is attached to the crown and one natural tooth to one side or the other of the gap.

• Maryland: A more conservative approach to bridges, a porcelain or metal frame is bonded directly to the back of the natural teeth, instead of crowns.

• Traditional: The most popular type of bridge, two abutting teeth have crowns cemented onto them, and the bridge is bonded to the back of the crowns.