About

About Bridges.

Placing a bridge is a dental procedure during which a tooth/teeth are shaped and a lab made restoration is custom made and fitted.

The intended benefits of the procedure include providing a fixed false tooth supported by the adjacent tooth/teeth. The process involves removing some of the existing tooth/filling to make space for the bridge to fit. A temporary bridge may be made whilst it is being made. Typically it takes between 2-3 weeks to make and have it delivered back to us. A second appointment is needed to fit it once it has been sent back to us.

FAQ's

Helpful answers to your questions.

We recommend having your teeth cleaned professionally on a regular basis and using floss or interdental brushes at home to keep the edges of your new restoration clean & healthy.

There are two types of bridge that we would provide depending on the circumstances.

1. Resin bonded bridge (Maryland bridge).

This style of bridge involves using a thin wing with a false tooth attached which is bonded to the back of an adjacent tooth. The wing is most commonly made of metal and in some cases, this may shine through and give teeth a grey tint. Wings made of a porcelain are possible but typically only for front teeth and are more prone to breakage. This type of bridge is ideal in situations where the tooth you want to bond onto has had very little dental treatment carried out on it, or ideally, none at all. They tend to be more successful in front teeth and the situations they can be used in back teeth are quite limited.

2. Conventional bridge.

This type of bridge involves placing a crown on either a single tooth or both teeth adjacent to the gap and a false tooth is attached to this crown to fill the space. The tooth to be used for bridging off of must be able to support an additional tooth and also have a reasonable long term outlook. Although, if the tooth to be crowned has never had any treatment, it may be quite destructive to place a crown on it.

As with all medical procedures there are risks and potential complications which you must be aware of before you can give your consent to proceed.

  • Numbness lasting a few hours after your appointment. Do not eat on this side until numbness has worn off & avoid hot food/drink whilst numb.
  • Soreness of the gums lasting a few days.
  • Increased sensitivity for up to a week afterwards

  • Extended numbness
  • Trauma to other parts of the mouth including adjacent teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue etc.
  • Some teeth will still be sensitive for some time after the procedure.
  • Inability to return the tooth to a perfect shape which could result in it being more difficult to look after.
  • The bite may need further adjustment after a couple of weeks
  • Removing tooth & filling material to make space for the restoration can irritate the nerve inside the tooth sometimes leading to the nerve dying and causing toothache. This may result in a root-canal or extraction being needed (approx. 20% of teeth within 10 years)

  • Trauma to tissues underneath the tooth including bone, sinus, nerves supplying other teeth etc.
  • Allergic reaction to something used during the procedure.

As with any restoration, they are not successful 100% of the time even if all parts of the procedure go as planned.

The tooth may not have enough strength left prior to this procedure for a long term result. Decay and previous work may have already irritated the nerve which could result in toothache in the future.

  • Referral to a specialist in this field who may be able treat the tooth better via the use of a microscope and specialist equipment etc.
  • Treating the tooth in a different way such as an implant or denture.
  • Refusing treatment but this will result in a gap.

When the time comes to cement the finished restoration, you will be shown it to approve it’s appearance. Once you approve the cementation, the restoration will be fitted, and this constitutes you agreeing that the restoration is satisfactory. If you change your mind at a later date, the restoration can be replaced, but will incur the full fee once again.

Testimonials

Real Stories, Real Smiles

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Lydia

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Sam

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Hailey

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Catherine

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Daniel

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Jake

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