What is a Dental Bridge?
If you have missing teeth, including front teeth, a fishers dental bridge can help restore the look and function of your teeth. It bridges the gap where the missing tooth is. The bridge is a molded unit that looks like "caps," covering the teeth of the teeth attached to the tooth or teeth you want to complete. The "hats" are connected by the floating teeth and glued to the tooth titles after they have been sharpened (reduced in size). The bridge is manufactured in a complex process that combines clinic and laboratory processes.
There are different types of bridges that differ in the material from which they are made and in the manner of preparing the teeth for receiving them accordingly:
1. Porcelain Fused to Metal - PFM - The most common type of bridge, made of a metal base coated with porcelain which is attached to the metal base by melting and fusion in the oven. In this category are different types of bridges that differ between them mainly in the type of metal and its thickness:
Base metal - "normal" and strong dental metal. Mainly used for rear restoration and long bridges.
Semi-noble metal - improved dental metal, contains about 40% noble metal.
Noble metal - Dental metal that contains over 80% noble metal. High-quality metal that is most often used for rehabilitation in anterior areas and for those who are sensitive (allergic reaction) to simpler metals.
Titanium - a metal whose dental use has begun in recent years. Strong, light and without allergic reaction.
2. Porcelain bridge without metal - a bridge whose inner skeleton is made of porcelain or a ceramic material such as alumina and zirconia, which is built by adding material to the mold or by computer engraving from a larger block of material. This type of bridge allows for improved aesthetics, because it does not have metal that impairs light reflection, and the transparency of the bridge looks more natural. This material is usually used mainly for relatively short front bridges.
3 Full metal bridge - A bridge made of metal, without porcelain, is most often used in back teeth, when there is no aesthetic need.
4. Full composite bridge - a bridge made of reinforced composite material, tooth-colored, is most often used as a temporary and with reduced abrasion teeth.
5. Temporary bridge - a bridge made of acrylic in a universal color, used as a temporary bridge in the stages of preparing the permanent bridge over the teeth.
The process of preparing the bridge
The process of creating the bridge is a complex process, taking place in a clinic and laboratory and lasting several sessions. This process consists mainly of the following sections:
- Examination of the teeth and closure, clinically in the oral cavity as well as by X-rays, to make the decision to perform a bridge.
- If the teeth are vital (live, without root canal treatment) local anesthesia is given, if not, there is usually no need for anesthesia.
- Prepare the supporting teeth by grinding them into a shape suitable for the bridge that will come on them.
- Preparation of a temporary bridge which will serve as a bridge for the entire process of creating the permanent bridge.
- Taking a coin as a copy of the teeth and sending it to the lab.
- Casting the impression of the temporary bridge in the laboratory, preparing the metal base or alumina / zirconia base or casting a full bridge and sending it to the clinic.
- Measurement and testing of the suitability of the bridge base on the prepared teeth in the clinic, selection of color for porcelain and return to the laboratory
- Construction of the porcelain in the laboratory according to the color, bite and adjustment to the rest of the teeth in the model, return to the clinic
- Measuring the bridge and balancing the closure, handing over the bridge with temporary gluing, for a short-term inspection.
- Placing the permanent bridge in the final destination in the patient’s mouth.
- Inspection, making sure the bridge was properly glued with a permanent adhesive. If not, send the bridge for lab improvements.