America Dental Clinic

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth.

A bridge is made up of two crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap -- these two anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth -- and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.

A crown is a type of  which completely caps or encircles a  or . Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth. They are typically bonded to the tooth using a . Crowns can be made from many materials, which are usually fabricated using indirect methods. Crowns are often used to improve the strength or appearance of teeth. While inarguably beneficial to dental health, the procedure and materials can be relatively expensive.

The most common method of crowning a tooth involves using a

of a prepared tooth by a

to fabricate the crown outside of the mouth. The crown can then be inserted at a subsequent dental appointment. Using this

of tooth restoration allows use of strong

requiring time consuming fabrication methods requiring intense heat, such as

metal or firing

which would not be possible to complete inside the mouth. Because of the expansion properties, the relatively similar material costs, and the aesthetic benefits, many

choose to have their crown fabricated with

. 

A dental implant (also known as an endosseous implant or fixture) is a surgical component that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a  such as a , , , facial prosthesis or to act as an. Most implants connect with other components in order to function. A common component is an abutment which can provide the connection to a dental prosthesis.

Modern dental implants can fuse with bone through a biologic process called . Materials such as , and some ceramics form this bone integration instead of causing a  as found with most other materials. Prior to the discovery of , various non-titanium implants were placed in the jawbones (or the  surrounding them) but had high complication rates due to . In fact, implantable fixtures to replace teeth are not a new concept, with evidence of use at least 4000 years ago with ancient Chinese bamboo dental implants.

The prerequisites to long term success of osseointegrated dental implants, are healthy  and . Pre-prosthetic procedures sometimes are required to recreate ideal bone and gingiva to enable implant placement (particularly after from previous tooth removal). In the presence of healthy tissues, a well integrated implant with appropriate biomechanical loads can have long term success rates of 93 to 98 percent for the fixture and 10 to 15 year lifespans for the prosthetic teeth.

Fixed partial dentures (FPDs) are "dental prostheses that are luted, screwed, or mechanically attached or otherwise securely retained to natural teeth, tooth roots, and/or dental implant abutments."1 During the past decades, many types of FPDs or "bridges" have been used to replace missing teeth. With the introduction and widespread use of osseointegrated implants, many missing teeth are now being replaced in this manner rather than with FPDs. Dental bridges can, of course, still be used successfully, and this article will briefly review the many methods of bridge construction and relate them to their applicability and current acceptance of the practicing dentist and the treated patient. These will include: cast-gold, stress-broken bridges; resin-bonded, etched retainers; porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) bridges; and all-ceramic bridges, including zirconia.