Losing teeth can often affect the appearance of the face, the way you talk and impair your aptitude to chew the all types of food. Furthermore, the space left after a tooth is lost can often result in plaque trapping and difficulties in cleaning.

To improve the aesthetics and efficacy of the teeth, your dentist may suggest a dental bridge to occupy the gap.

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is a artificial tooth that is attached to healthy teeth either side of a gap to "bridge" the gap. If a good oral hygiene routine is maintained - a dental bridge should endure for between 10 and 15 years.

Types of dental bridge

There are three styles of dental bridge, which are: resin bonded, fixed and cantilever. Each situation calls for a different style of bridge – your dentist will be able to best advise which one is most suitable for your teeth.

Fixed Bridges

A fixed bridge is made by preparing the teeth on each side or one side of a gap, for placement of dental crowns – the false tooth is then attached to these crowns to fill the gap. This bridge is very strong and can replace any teeth in the mouth, provided the anchoring teeth are healthy.

Resin Bonded Bridges

These are often referred to as Maryland Bridges. This style of bridge has a false tooth with a metal "wing" attached to it. The wing is then bonded onto an adjacent tooth using a resin cement. These can only be used in areas of the mouth where you are not biting heavily as they are prone to coming off. The advantage of this type of bridge is that no preparation of adjacent teeth is required and they are easy to keep clean.

Whichever type of bridge you choose the process is normally done over two visits. The first visit involves preparation of the anchoring teeth. The dentist then takes a mould of the teeth using special putty. This is then dispatched to a dental laboratory to make your hand-crafted bespoke dental bridge. When you come for the second appointment, the dental bridge is bonded into place using very strong cements and checked to make sure it fits in with the way you bite.

Cleaning

You must clean around a dental bridge meticulously. They are prone to trapping food debris and plaque and therefore, in addition to brushing, you must floss and use mouthwash around these areas.

There is an assortment of specially tailored floss and toothbrushes the sections around a bridge. Ask your dentist to show you how these work.