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Dentistry, General Dentistry, Oral Health

Classifying The Types of A Dental Bridge In Replacing Missing Teeth

Patients no longer have to worry about missing teeth since options now are becoming better and growing in numbers. This means that with every dental case, there’s a corresponding and more suitable treatment. Like a dental bridgedental procedures aim to better the lives of dental patients.

Missing teeth replacements just prove that science has already reached far in its research and advancement. Take a look at the different types of tooth bridges and understand how vital each of its functions are.

3 types of a dental bridge

Bridges in dentistry literally link or connect one or more artificial teeth to close a gap created by missing teeth. It’s basically composed of a false tooth or a pontic and supporting it are the abutments or crowns.

Traditional

traditional dental bridge is the most common type of teeth bridges. This type has the one with the pontic in the middle and needs the support of two crowns at each of its sides. So, it is recommended for patients with existing teeth to both sides of the gap.

The process would entail reshaping for the neighbouring teeth for both crowns to fit in. Patients with more than one missing teeth can still take advantage of this treatment. As long as the natural teeth still exist on both sides of the space, the abutments will have something to hold on to.

Cantilever

Another type of dental bridge is what dentists call the Cantilever type. It’s quite similar to traditional bridges only that the pontic may need only one abutment. This is best suited for patients who don’t have remaining teeth at one side of the pontic.

Dentists rarely recommend this type since it may not perform as much as a traditional dental bridge would. However, it’s also great for patients who prefer to preserve the other tooth and request only one abutment.

Maryland

The Maryland type is also similar to the traditional bridgework as it needs two existing teeth beside the pontics. While the traditional type uses crowns to support the bridge, Maryland type uses metal frameworks. The metal support looks like wings at each side of the pontic.

The advantage of this type of dental bridge is that existing teeth don’t need reshaping so it’s much preserved. Then, there’s less cost for additional crowns and procedures. The only drawback is the possibility of it being less durable than the other types. Nevertheless, it might still work for some patients.

It’s best to consult with your dentist no matter what type of tooth restoration you prefer. Explore your options and see if a traditional dental bridge or the other types are suitable for your dental case.

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About DentistryEd

Sharky Liu is the founder and CEO of DentistFind, a results-driven dental marketing platform and marketing service that applies an analytical and data-based approach to increase new patient acquisition for dental practices. 

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