Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are defined as one of the ways that the dentist uses to fill the gap between the teeth due to loss; This is done by installing a piece of 3 teeth (the best option) that is fixed by the installation of the peripheral teeth from this bridge to the natural teeth surrounding the gap which will be filled in the third tooth in the middle of the bridge. Bridges are often made of porcelain, zircon, gold or a mixture of metal and gold together.

It is not necessary to treat root canal before the installation of bridges on the teeth; it depends mostly on the health condition of the patient's teeth and the need of any other procedures before the installation of bridges. The patient can have fixed or movable bridges, and the maximum number of spaces preferred by the dentist in the installation of bridges is two spaces (due to the loss of two adjacent teeth) in other words that the length of the bridge 4 units.

Installing a dental bridge may require 3 sessions at the dentist's clinic, after which the patient can have complete teeth with a lower cost and faster time.

The installation of dental bridges requires 3 visits to the dentist's clinic, approximately one week.

Dental implants may be a good solution for some patients who do not prefer dental implants (because of their relatively high cost), so some may resort to them for the following reasons:

• Keep the surrounding teeth in the correct direction after filling the gap caused by tooth loss.
• Help distribute pressure on the teeth during chewing.
• Preserving the shape of the face, as the loss of teeth contributes in one way or another to slack the facial muscles sometimes.
• Restore facial appearance with a perfect smile.
• Dental bridges are suitable for patients who have previously undergone radiotherapy or chemotherapy recently, or patients with stress, diabetes or smokers.

Although many people use dental bridges to fill in the gaps dues to teeth loss, but others don’t prefer them, due to:

• Bone erosion over time, since the bones in the gap where the bridge is installed start to atrophy.
• Damage to the teeth used as supports to fix the bridge due to the accumulation of bacteria under the bridge.
• Redness of the gums.
• Bad breath often.
• Tooth root inflammation (dental nerve).

The steps to install dental bridges include the following:

1. In the first visit the dentist cleans the adjacent area (the tooth’s place/ the missed teeth) and removes the decay if there is any.
2. Carve the surrounding teeth and prepare them to install the bridge on them.
3. Take the tooth shape print.
4. Send the dental technician's mold to make a bridge suitable for the patient's teeth size.
5. Place a temporary bridge.
6. In the second visit, the dentist will test the bridge, determine the color and adjust the measurements of the bridge (rehearsal).
7. In the third visit install the bridge permanently.

         After the installation of dental bridges, the patient must be aware of the known instructions to clean the teeth, cleaning the dental bridge and teeth in general through the use of a brush with fine heads regularly is important to ensure the disposal of the remains of food that may be stuck between the teeth and keep them intact as much as possible. As well as the need for periodic rinsing to sterilize the mouth and reduce the chances of tooth decay, thus maintaining the bridge of teeth for as long as possible.

         In cases where the patient has noticed the accumulation of certain materials or dyes on the dental bridge, it is advisable to visit the dentist to clean the bridge well.