A dental bridge is often the quickest way to close the gaps in missing teeth. It is attached to the teeth next to the gap and bridges one or more tooth gaps with artificial teeth that are not anchored in the jaw. The bridge is a genuine dental prosthesis. Thanks to modern dentistry, it fits into the dentition almost like your own teeth.
Here you will find further information as well as selected specialists and centers for the fabrication of individual dental bridges.
Missing teeth always mean a restriction in chewing behavior. They can also lead to
lead to further tooth loss. Depending on the location of the gap in the dentition, dental aesthetics may also suffer.
A missing tooth can be replaced by an implant or a dental bridge, which also closes the tooth gap.
Teeth and tooth gaps differ from person to person. Dental bridges must therefore be fitted individually. Various options are available for closing gaps.
A distinction is therefore made between the following types of dental bridges:
The "mother of all bridges", or the so-called basic bridge, is the free-end bridge. This is a fixed artificial denture. It is cemented to an abutment tooth, i.e. a tooth adjacent to the tooth gap, using an artificial dental crown.
An extended free-end bridge, an "extension bridge", can be used to bridge several adjacent tooth gaps.
A dental bridge "bridges" a gap in the dentition © Alex With AdobeStock
However, attachment to just one remaining abutment tooth is usually not sufficient to withstand the enormous masticatory forces. As a result, free-end bridges often lead to tooth fractures on the abutment teeth after a few years. For this reason, free-end bridges are rarely used nowadays.
However, if a tooth gap is limited by two teeth, the dentist can fit an interdental bridge. This is anchored as a fixed prosthesis to the two abutment teeth on the right and left of the gap. If one of the two abutment teeth has to be replaced by an implant, this is known as an implant bridge.
In children, it is not possible to place implants to create artificial abutment teeth (anchor teeth) in the event of massive tooth loss. They are still growing and the skeleton and therefore also the jaw are subject to change.
Larger gaps in children can be closed with adhesive bridges. A real crowning is not necessary with adhesive bridges, so that the abutment teeth have to be ground down much more gently and only slightly. The actual dental bridge is then fused ("bonded") to the tooth material using metal and a special etching technique.
Temporary dental bridges, on the other hand, are only used temporarily until the laboratory has produced the actual dental prosthesis. The temporary restoration
Temporary dental crowns are made of plastic. The dentist usually makes them himself using molding techniques.
Various materials are used for dental bridges. The following materials are widely used:
If you are allergic to metals, you should opt for a dental bridge made of ceramic. Dental bridges made of all-ceramic or with a ceramic veneer also look like a natural tooth. They therefore fit elegantly into the existing row of teeth.
The dentist can even have the exact coloring of the adjacent teeth imitated, which significantly improves the overall appearance.
The biggest disadvantage of a dental bridge is that even with good oral hygiene and dental care, it usually barely lasts longer than ten years. Then it has to be replaced, if this is possible. In many cases, however, the supporting abutment teeth are severely damaged or even dead due to years of chewing.
Oral care is also made more difficult by the fact that the dental bridge is firmly anchored or glued in place. An artificial denture can be removed and cleaned regularly, but the bridge cannot.
Bone loss in the jaw below the dental bridge is also possible. The dental bridge is not anchored in the jaw and the bone at the tooth gap is therefore not stressed. Bone loss can therefore occur.
However, dental bridges have advantages over dentures. Dental bridges fit perfectly and can cause fewer pressure points on the gums than dentures. In addition, the fixed anchoring within the row of teeth provides a firmer bite, which maintains chewing function. Unlike dentures, the chewing pressure of a dental bridge does not rest solely on the gums. Instead, the pressure is transferred via the abutment teeth into the jawbone.
Prices can vary greatly depending on the number of teeth to be bridged and the type of material used for the bridge. Typically, however, they are between €500 and €3,000. Patients can find out the exact cost of their individual treatment by talking to their dentist. He or she will draw up a treatment and cost plan, which is also important for health insurance companies.
The costs for dental bridges and dentures in general depend on these factors:
As the statutory health insurance companies only provide a fixed subsidy, the patient usually has to pay part of the costs themselves. Supplementary dental insurance is recommended to minimize this amount. This allows 80 to 100% of the costs incurred for a dental bridge to be reimbursed.
Special regulations also apply, for example, to recipients of citizens' benefits. Here, cost-effectiveness is the top priority. This means that, as a rule, only the costs for the fixed health insurance allowances are reimbursable. However, aesthetic aspects that go beyond standard care are not taken into account.
For example, teeth in the visible part of the dentition are partially veneered by the health insurance company. In the back of the mouth, however, the subsidization of ceramic veneers is excluded.
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