Dental bridge

The feeling of a new tooth all over again

If you miss one or more teeth, having a bridge between your teeth can help. The empty spots in your teeth are then filled up so that you can smile with confidence again. A bridge can also be placed to promote eating food. At the Jan van Nassau Dental Center in The Hague, bridges, crowns and implants are set by our specialist Jeroen Meuter.

 

What is a bridge for teeth?

A bridge can fill the gap between two or more teeth. For this, one or more floating crowns are attached to each other. The reason why they call this a bridge is that it bridges the gap between the teeth.

 

When do you need a bridge?

The placement of a bridge is not always necessary when teeth are missing. In many cases, however, it is better for your teeth. Without molars or teeth in some places, chewing will soon become more difficult. It can also have an impact on your smile. Some people are ashamed of the missing teeth.

It may also be necessary to have a bridge installed by the dentist in the dental field. This may cause the teeth next to the hole to grow in the wrong way. If you miss a tooth in your lower jaw, it can also affect the tooth in your upper jaw. There is no longer a counterweight, so to speak.

 

Bridge treatment at the dentist

It can be exciting to have a bridge installed at the dentist’s. Your teeth are, after all, a precious possession. That is why we are happy to explain how a bridge treatment at the dentist works. The placement of a bridge generally takes six steps.

  1. The treatment of a bridge for your teeth starts with grinding teeth. This way the dentist creates enough space for placing the bridge.
  2. Each bridge is tailor-made especially for your teeth. For this, the dentist makes a print of your jaw. This print goes to a dental laboratory. These then make a bridge specially tailored for your teeth.
  3. To determine the height of the bridge you also have to bite on a wax plate. We also call this bite registration.
  4. Of course you do not want the bridge to stand out between your other teeth. That is why you can also determine the color. You do this together with the dentist.
  5. During the period that the dental laboratory makes the bridge custom for you, we install an emergency bridge.
  6. Once your customized bridge is ready, it’s time to install it. We do this with fast-setting cement. This allows you to quickly use your teeth again to eat, for example.

Before your bridge can be placed, it may be necessary to perform other dental treatments. For example a filling, root canal treatment or placing an implant.
 

 

Different types of bridges

There are three types of bridges in dentistry.

  • A normal bridge has pillars on both sides of the open space.
  • The free-ending bridge works with pillars on only one side of the missing tooth.
  • The etching bridge is often used when replacing one or two teeth. The etching bridge is glued to the inside of the teeth with special cement.

 

Materials used for bridges

In addition to the different types of bridges, there are also different types of materials with which we work for placing bridges. Depending on where the bridge should be placed in your mouth, it is determined which materials are used.

  • A porcelain bridge looks natural. Nobody will see that you are carrying a bridge.
  • A zirconium bridge not only looks natural but is also very durable.
  • A layer of porcelain can be placed over a metal bridge so that it looks natural.
  • A golden or silver-colored metal bridge is strong and durable.