Bridges

Dental bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth. Unlike dentures, they remain permanently in place - and are not removed at night. They are supported by your natural teeth so these supporting teeth have to be strong enough to do the job.

There are two types of bridges - traditional and adhesive. Traditional bridges involve preparing one or both of the teeth on either side of the missing tooth for crowns. The crowns are connected, together with the missing tooth, to form a bridge. The dummy replacement for the missing tooth is called a 'pontic'. These kinds of bridges have been used for over half a century.

A more recent development is the adhesive bridge. Their advantage is that much less tooth substance needs to be removed - which is better generally for tooth health. They rely on the strength of modern dental glue. The only disadvantage is that they can come unstuck.

It is not always possible to recommend bridges to be safely put in place - for example if the adjacent teeth are weak. Your dentist can advise you of the various options.