A missing tooth is more than a gap. The teeth on either side tip into the space, the opposite tooth drifts towards it, and chewing shifts to the other side. A bridge is one of the oldest and most reliable ways to stop that.
What a bridge is
A bridge is a false tooth held in place by the teeth next to the gap. In the most common kind, the two neighbouring teeth are shaped and capped with crowns, and the false tooth is joined between them as one piece. It is cemented in place: you do not take it out.
The main types
- Conventional bridge. A crown on the tooth each side, with the false tooth between. The strongest option for back teeth.
- Cantilever bridge. Held by a crown on one side only. Used where there is a healthy tooth on just one side, usually towards the front.
- Resin-bonded bridge. The false tooth has a thin metal or ceramic wing glued to the back of the neighbouring tooth, so that tooth barely needs shaping. Suits some front teeth where the bite is light.
- Implant-supported bridge. Where several teeth are missing in a row, two implants can carry a bridge of three or four teeth, so no natural teeth are involved.
Bridge or implant?
A bridge can be a good choice when the teeth either side already have large fillings or crowns, since capping them protects them too. It is quicker than an implant, with no surgery and no healing time, and it suits people who cannot have an implant for health reasons.
An implant is usually better when the neighbouring teeth are healthy and untouched, because a bridge means filing them down. An implant also keeps the bone under the gap from shrinking, which a bridge does not.
We go through both with you, with the costs, before you choose.
What having a bridge involves
Usually two visits. At the first, the supporting teeth are shaped, a scan or impression is taken, and you leave with a temporary bridge. At the second, about a week later, the final bridge is checked for fit, colour and bite, then cemented.
Looking after a bridge
The false tooth sits on the gum, and food collects under it. Clean under it every day with a floss threader, super floss or a small interdental brush. Decay at the edge of the supporting crowns is the most common reason a bridge fails, and daily cleaning prevents most of it. With that care, a bridge commonly lasts ten years or more.
Read more about crowns and bridges, or compare with implant options.