Dental Bridge 102 – The 3 Types of Dental Bridges
The type of your bridge can vary depending on how it is created and how your dentist will put it on your surrounding teeth. There are two ways they can be made, the traditional where they take a sample of your mouth and your bridge is fabricated by another person, usually a dental technician. The other way is that when it is made within your mouth and made of composite resin for example.
In the previous piece of the Ultimate Guide for dental bridges, we covered the basic, generally (not) known fact about bridges and dental bridge costs. Now we cover the three main types of dental bridges and consider the advantages and disadvantages one by one. This way you can get a grasp of what bridges are there and what choices you might have if choosing the type for your dental bridge. With the next article we dwelve into the matter of materials used while making dental bridges as well as how are they fabricated.
Dental Bridge Type 1 — Fixed Bridges (Traditional)
Your dentist prepares the neighbouring teeth (abutments) in order to hold the false tooth (pontic). The false tooth is fused afterwards to the other teeth (abutment crowns). Or to put in another way: it is fastened securely to the teeth or implants next to it. The place where it can be used is not limited, good for replacing either front teeth or back teeth (molars).
This type of bridge can be made of metal, ceramic or a combination of those two - though generally porcelain fused to either metal or ceramics.
Advantages of Fixed Bridges
- Possible alternatives to dental implants, mostly because they are moderately less expensive
- They last around 10-15 years the longest amongst bridges.
Disadvantages of Fixed Bridges
- There is only a subtle difference in the price between this type of bridge and dental implants.
- Keeping good oral hygiene could be more challenging and possibly require new habits of cleaning under this type of dental bridges
- Due it is fixed position, it cannot be removed.
- As dental work is needed on the teeth nearby, they may be more delicate temporarily. In some very rare cases the abutment tooth becomes eventually requiring a root canal treatment though only if a severe toothache is present
Dental Bridge Type 2 — Maryland Bridges (Resin Bonded)
This type of bridge is typically used for replacing front teeth as they do not require extensive dental work done on the neighbouring teeth. Also it is especially recommended if there is no harm done to the teeth either side of the gap. Another reason why it is more suitable for front teeth is that pressure is smaller in these areas and the binding can be made hidden at the rear of the adjacent teeth.
Commonly the false tooth (pontic) is created by fusing plastic with metal and it is attached via metal wings to the inside wall of the neighbouring teeth using resin. This type of bridge can be made of metal, ceramic or a combination of those two – similarly as the previous type.
Advantages of Maryland Bridges
- Bridges can be made faster as for traditional bridges less clinical and lab time is necessary. It can be cheaper in this manner, especially in places dedicated to dental tourism.
- Because of nearly no preparatory work needed of the neighbouring teeth, they can be literally untouched. Therefore your teeth can be preserved for longer period of time.
- They can be easily adjusted and fitted
- Less impact on the surrounding teeth
- No need for a local anaesthetic shot
Disadvantages of Maryland Bridges
- Generally unsuitable for back missing teeth (molars).
- The chance of the dental bridge falls off is greater than conventional bridges.
- They last around 5 years maybe longer.
- It could be more expensive than a conventional bridge because of the fitting and the skill required to accommodate a Maryland Bridge they are generally cost more than a normal bridge.
Dental Bridge Type 3 — Cantilever Bridges
It comes down to cantilever bridges when only one tooth (abutment) is available to support. The false tooth (pontic) is then anchored to that tooth (sometimes more) on one side of the gap only. However, it is only appropriate for teeth having little strain such as the ones in the front or more ideally the lower front teeth. These can be made of metal, ceramic or a combination of those two – alike previous types.
Advantages of Cantilever Bridges
- Most of the cases it is less expensive than conventional bridges as less clinical time and lab time is required (similarly as Maryland bridges)
- It is a preferred option as opposed to dentures as cantilever bridges are fixed.
- Keeping good oral hygiene is effortless comparing to the traditional bridges.
Disadvantages of Cantilever Bridges
- As some dental work is needed on the teeth nearby, they may be more delicate for temperature changes temporarily.
- It can be applied only to a limited area (typically front lower) and may be not suitable for all dental needs.
Related Articles
> Dental Bridges: The Ultimate Guide (Part 1 - Basics and Cost)