Dental Bridge

A dental bridge is a restoration fixed to implants, roots or tooth remnants. It doesn’t need more space than the original tooth itself.

• parts: FPD (Fixed partial denture) intermediary - this replaces the missing tooth, teeth. FPD abutment: we support the bridge with it, it can be a prepared natural tooth, a root or an implant. We use the anchor to fix the bridge to the abutment. The anchor can be a full veneer crown, an inlay, a partial veneer crown or a post-crown.
• To be able to use a tooth as an abutment the tooth must be polished and the dental material is removed. A typical bridge is a bridge that is anchored only at the neighbouring teeth.

Types of bridges based by raw material:

• ceramics fused to metal: This is the most commonly used method of tooth replacement because of the favourable price / performance ratio and its durability. This type of restoration consists of two parts: a metallic frame and a ceramic cover in a colour that is identical to the neighbouring teeth. The ceramic cover is burnt onto the metallic frame on a very high temperature. Due to the metal frame it is durable even when more missing teeth are restored. Its advantage is that because of the metal frame it’s unbreakable, it has good closure, it is precise and durable and the colour of the ceramic cover can be matched to the other teeth’s colour. The disadvantage is that the metallic edge will be visible under the ceramic cover because of the receding gum.
• ceramics fused to gold: It’s a wonderful replacement option to reach natural tooth colour because of the golden colour. After adding the ceramic cover it looks very similar to natural teeth. The stability of a golden frame is perfect. It’s biocompatible therefore it can be applied even for those who have metal-allergy.
• metal-free zirconium-oxide: It is recommended for those patients, to whom aesthetics is the most important aspect. Zirconium-dioxide is even stronger than ceramics fused to metal crowns and their appearance is more similar to the natural tooth. It’s ideal for restoring incisors.
• During the creation of zircon crowns that fits the gum perfectly a new technology is used called CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) which increases the speed and precision of design and creation, the convenience or simplicity of the design, creation and insertion processes.
• First they take an impression of the prepared teeth and this digitised sample will appear in a graphical form on the computer. Based on this, the frame, size and shape of the crown can be designed.
• The next step is to transfer the digital image to another computer which is connected to the special milling machine where the restoration is carved out of a solid block of ceramic or composite resin.
• In the end the ceramic cover is burned on the frame after the patient chooses the colour with the help of the dentist.
• Their only disadvantage is that because of their higher quality the price is higher too.
• what to do prior to treatment: Precise oral examination, x-rays of the neighbouring teeth are necessary. The patient also gets detailed information on the planned treatments. Sometimes before polishing premedication treatment is needed such as root canal filling or building up the tooth below the crown-stump. In case the patient suspects metal allergy, metal allergy test must be done. The properly prepared teeth then will be polished. It is advised to eat before every dental treatment, because it is recommended not to eat until the numbness lasts, which is usually for 3-4 hours after the injection.
• the process of dental bridge creation:
  • First step – like every dental treatment – the creation of a dental bridge starts with consultation and examination
  • Second step - preparation of a treatment plan.
  • Third step - the tooth needs to be prepared and polished. It is done with local anaesthesia. Then an impression is taken of the stumps that goes straight to the dental laboratory where the frame is created.
  • Fourth step – a frame-test is done, checking the frame’s stability and cleanability. If everything is correct, the dental laboratory will finish the cover of the frame. For this period of time the sensitive tooth is covered with a temporary crown in order to protect it and to keep its position. The last step is a very last check-up then the restoration is fixed with adhesive plastic.

Special bridge types:

• inlay anchored bridge: We recommend it in case there is a filling or decay in the neighbouring teeth. Instead of polishing the neighbouring teeth a hole is created in the place of the decay or small filling. It is necessary to create the holes in both of the neighbouring teeth. With the help of a special glue we cement the final bridge, which doesn’t only substitute the missing tooth but the inlays fill up the holes in the neighbouring teeth aesthetically. Its biggest advantage is that the teeth surrounding the gap don’t need to be polished. Its disadvantage is that if the edentulous area is too large this type of restoration can’t be used.
• implant anchored bridge: It is done when there are more missing teeth in one dental arch and the number of the remaining teeth are not sufficient or it is not advised to use them. In this case implants are placed in necessary positions and the bridge is anchored on them. During the implantation titanium screws are placed in the jawbone. They will function as dental roots. After implantation the healing period lasts for approximately 4-6 months. After this the special construction (abutment) is placed on the implants that will support the bridge. It is possible to fix the bridge to the abutment with glue or screws.
• circular bridge: The type of bridge that covers a whole denture is called circular bridge. This type of bridge synthesizes all of the teeth that are located in one jawbone.
• what to do after treatment: Usage of the proper method of tooth brushing, between the crowns the use of dental floss is advised. The space between the fixed partial denture immediately can be cleaned with an interdental brush where the regular toothbrush won’t fit in. Regular dental check-ups.