Just as a bridge over a river has two supports and a span over the gap in between, a dental bridge will attach to the teeth on either side of the gap in the mouth.

Usually, this is accomplished by crowning the teeth on either side of the gap, (see crowns) after which an impression is taken and a specialist dental technician makes crowns for the abutment teeth which connect and support artificial teeth to fill the gaps.

Dental bridges have been constructed and used reliably for more than one hundred years. More recently implants are more commonly used to replace missing teeth but bridges are still very useful when implants are unsuitable for medical reasons or financial constraints.

Very recently so called composite bridges have become available which can be constructed directly in the mouth and are considerably cheaper than the bridges described above. Whilst their success rate is not as high as a conventional bridge they often last for many years and at the very least are a very good interim measure until finances can be organised for the more conventional treatments.

Please consult your dentist during your consultation if you have any queries about bridges and your particular condition.