Bridges

A bridge is one way to fill in a space created by a missing tooth. The teeth on either side of the space are prepared for crowns. A one-piece unit is returned from the lab with a false tooth, or pontic, fused in between the two crowns.

The bridge is permanently cemented into place on the teeth on either side of the space. This effectively and esthetically fills in the space. This procedure can be used for front teeth and back teeth. The front teeth receive far less biting force than do back teeth, so sometimes a bridge can be fabricated to replace a missing front tooth without crowning the adjacent teeth (the inside of the adjacent teeth are prepared, and the bridge is cemented to those areas).