Dental Bridges

Dental Bridges are a conventional method of replacing missing teeth. Dental bridges can be generally categorized into three categories:

1. Removable Bridges
2. Fixed Bridges
3. Hybrid Bridges (With dental implants only)

Removable Bridges

Removable Bridges can replace a single tooth or it can replace multiple numbers of missing teeth in an arch. The removable bridges are also referred to as Removable Partial Dentures. All removable bridges are designed to take advantage of the other teeth in the same arch as well as the supporting tissue to gain its retention.

For example a common removable bridges is a single tooth removable retainer that is commonly referred to as a “ Flipper”. Removable bridges come in all shapes and sizes but they are typically made of an acrylic, metal or a combination of the two.

Advantages:

The biggest advantage offered by a fixed dental bridge compared to a removable bridge is the fact that the bridge does not move and is permanently fixed. This will allow patients the extra comfort and peace of mind that their bridge does not come out or fall out during chewing or speaking. There are also other advantages:

1. Highly Natural and Esthetic resembling the missing tooth
2. Functions very similar to a natural tooth
3. No need to take out rinse and place back in after every meal

Disadvantages:

1. The bridge can only be constructed where there are adjacent teeth present
2. The adjacent teeth has to be trimmed down to accommodate new crowns supporting the false tooth ( Pontic ). This can be a disadvantage if the adjacent teeth are intact but not so much of a disadvantage if the adjacent teeth have large fillings or require a crown for strength.
3. The dental bridge is dependent on the adjacent teeth ( abutments ) for support. Thus the abutments must be free from any periodontal bone loss or mobility that can affect the long-term prognosis of the bridge.
4. Difficult to clean fixed dental bridges as it is not easy to floss them. This can result in accumulation of food and bacteria causing eventual decay of the dental abutments requiring replacement of the bridge. Also when the food is not cleaned out properly, it will lead to halitosis ( bad breath ).
5. High incident of decay and bridge failure after 5 years.
6. Higher cost than a removable dental bridge and sometimes higher cost than a single dental implant.

Hybrid Bridges:

A hybrid dental bridge is a combination of a fixed dental bridge and also a removable one. These types of prosthesis became a popular method of teeth replacement in the recent years due to higher success rates achieved with dental implants. These dental bridges can only be fabricated over dental implants where they are screwed in place to the dental implant body. The screws then are tightened, hence creating a fixed dental bridge and can be easily removed by unscrewing the screws by a qualified dentist. The hybrid dental bridges are the optimum teeth replacement where patient requires dental implants.