Bridges

Dental BridgesLiving with one or more missing teeth can have a seriously debilitating effect on a person’s life. When you’re missing teeth, it can be difficult to enjoy the foods you love, and it can affect the way you speak. It can also change your appearance and hurt your self-esteem. Thankfully, there are a variety of tooth-replacement treatment options that are designed to restore and revitalize not only the health and function of your smile but also its appearance. One popular and fairly versatile tooth replacement option is the dental bridge.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a tooth-replacement treatment option that is designed to replace one or more consecutive missing teeth. When there is a gap in an arch of teeth, a dental bridge is intended to “bridge the gap.”

Most dental bridges consist of three parts:

Two anchors on either end (or on just one end in the case of cantilever bridges)
One pontic that floats in between and is connected to the anchors

Types of Dental Bridges

There are several types of dental bridges that vary in the way they are anchored within or fixed in the mouth.

Traditional Dental Bridges

Traditional dental bridges feature two dental crowns that act as anchors. These crowns are permanently fixed to the two natural teeth neighboring the gap of missing teeth.

Maryland Bonded Dental Bridges

Maryland bonded dental bridges are anchored to the neighboring teeth using a simple system of wires and dental bonding.

Implant-Supported Dental Bridges

Implant-supported dental bridges are similar to traditional dental bridges in that they feature two dental crowns that act as anchors. Instead of attaching to neighboring teeth, however, these anchors attach to two dental implant abutments.

Cantilever Dental Bridges

Cantilever dental bridges are designed to replace one or more missing teeth that are located at the end of an arch. These bridges, as the name suggests, only attach to one anchor point in the mouth.

When Is a Dental Bridge Typically Recommended?

A dental bridge is an excellent tooth-replacement solution for patients who are missing one or more teeth in a row. With so many types of bridges available, there is usually one that can successfully address tooth loss in almost every patient.

The Process of Getting a Dental Bridge

The process of getting a dental bridge varies greatly depending on the type of bridge you are receiving. For example, implant-supported bridges require that patients undergo the dental implant placement process and procedures, traditional bridges require neighboring teeth to be shaved down in preparation for the bridge placement, and Maryland bonded bridges require very minimal preparation before being placed.

During a consultation, our prosthodontist can help you determine which dental bridge is the best treatment option for you, answer your questions, and talk with you about what to expect from the process during your initial appointment.

Is a Dental Bridge Right for You? Tooth Replacement Consultations With Our Loveland Prosthodontist

In addition to dental bridges, our prosthodontist, Dr. Andrew Bock is highly experienced in treating patients with a variety of different tooth-replacement options including dental implants, implant-supported dentures, all-on-4, and both full and partial traditional dentures.

To find out which tooth-replacement treatment option is the best choice for you, we welcome you to schedule a smile restoration consultation with Dr. Bock. To start your journey to a complete smile, please call Northern Colorado Prosthetic Dentistry or request an appointment online today.

Schedule An Appointment!

To learn more about how Dr. Andrew Bock and our team can help you create a smile worth smiling about, we welcome you to contact our office or schedule an appointment online today.

What Our Patients Say

If i could give them 10 stars I would! I can’t say enough about the amazing team I have had the pleasure of working with at Northern Colorado Implants. Thanks for being my Angels and giving me my smile back!! Forever grateful 🙏

Jennifer H

So happy with whole experience…Great staff and beautiful personalities makes your visits fun and exciting.

David M

Associations and Memberships

Dr. Andrew Bock and the team at Northern Colorado Prosthetic Dentistry truly care about our patients, and we work hard to create positive treatment outcomes while providing the highest quality experience in our Loveland, CO office.

American Dental Association
Seattle Study Club
The American Board of Prosthodontics
Colorado Dental Association