What Is a Dental Bridge and Who Needs One?
Dental bridges, as the name implies, bridge the gap between missing teeth. They are made up of two or more crowns for teeth on one or both sides of the gap, abutment teeth (the anchoring teeth), and false tooth/teeth in between. Pontics, or false teeth, can be made of gold, porcelain, alloy, or a mixture of these materials. Implants or natural teeth hold these devices. The Process of Getting a Dental Bridge On the first visit to get such a device, the dentist makes ready the abutment teeth. He reshapes these teeth by filing part of the enamel to provide space for a crown to be placed above them. He then makes impressions of the teeth to serve as a mold for the dental lab to utilize in making the bridge, crowns, and pontic. Meanwhile, he will make a temporary bridge to protect the teeth and gums that will be exposed while the final version is being made. On the second visit, the dentist will remove the temporary bridge and place it with the new metal/porcelain bridge, which will be exam