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Bridges The Procedure

Here we try to understand the procedure that is used in fitting dental bridges . It is important to note that the procedure has undergone a lot of changes since it was first introduced. A lot of systematic calculations are used now so that the crowns and the false teeth can fit well over the impaired areas. Also, there are methods that can provide suitable bridge colors which help in making these false teeth resemble as closely as possible to the original teeth . The chemistry involved in this method of dental restoration has also undergone a lot of change. Today, with methods such as resin-bonded dental implants , the false teeth can not only be made to resemble the lost teeth as closely as possible, but they can also ensure that the implants will fuse well over the other teeth, thus becoming permanent bridges.

Bridges The Procedure

Let us now try to understand the procedure behind implanting dental bridges. There are generally two visits needed.

The First Visit

• The dental bridge will have to communicate over adjacent healthy teeth. In some cases, such as fixed dental bridges , the false tooth will communicate over both adjacent healthy teeth. In others, called cantilever bridges, the false tooth will communicate over only one adjacent healthy tooth. The first step is to prepare these adjacent supporting teeth, which are called as abutment teeth.
• A dental impression is taken. This impression, when set, tells the dentist the exact shape of the patient’s teeth. The impression is then sent to a dental laboratory where the crowns of the right shape and size are ordered.
• Under the influence of a mild anesthetic, which is given by injecting the anesthetic directly into the gums, the abutment preparation is started. The main thing to be done here is to scrape the healthy teeth to a suitable size so that the crown will fit precisely over them. If the teeth had been previously filled for cavities, a portion of these fillings will be kept intact so that the cavity does not get completely exposed.
• This is what is accomplished in the first visit. Some dentists will provide temporary bridges to wear because of the cutting that has been done on the abutment teeth. One type of temporary bridge is the flipper. This is basically an inconvenient device because it will fit at the roof of the mouth or to the other teeth by means of a wire. However, the flipper is removed in the second visit. The next visit is scheduled when the dental bridges are expected to come from the laboratory.

The Second Visit

• During the second visit, the first thing to be done is to remove the flipper if it was used. This procedure hardly takes any time for the dentist.
• The permanent bridge is then taken and roughly placed in the space it is meant to be fitted. The patient is advised to clench the teeth and check if the crowns come in the way. If they do, the teeth on the other jaw are usually scraped to make way. If the discrepancy is too significant, new crowns will be ordered.
• Once everything is fine, the dental bridge is permanently cemented to the teeth.

In earlier bridge procedures, patients were expected to wear braces for a while and take care not to consume any hard foods for a few days after the implants. With the renewed bridge procedures though, it is possible for the patient to directly walk out of the dentist’s clinic and lead a normal healthy life once again.