Understanding the Different Kinds of Bridges

When you lose a tooth as a child, you get to look forward to a visit from the tooth fairy. But as an adult, losing a tooth is stressful. Whether your tooth got knocked out in an accident or you had to part with it because of decay, you probably have one priority: filling the gap in your smile.

That’s why Dr. Hannah Baek offers bridges to her patients at Healthy Smile Dental in Woodridge, Illinois. With these comfortable, long-lasting replacement teeth, you get a full smile and a replacement tooth that feels and functions like your natural teeth.

But there are a few different types of dental bridges. To help you find out which might be right for you, let’s look at the three different kinds of bridges. 

Traditional bridge

A traditional bridge uses the teeth on either side of the gap in your smile to anchor your replacement tooth in place. 

To place this bridge, Dr. Baek prepares the teeth on each side (in dental speak: your abutment teeth) for a crown. 

Then, she customizes your bridge for you. This will be one continuous piece with the crowns on each end and your replacement tooth in between. That way, when the crowns are affixed to your abutment teeth, the replacement tooth anchors securely in your mouth.  

Dr. Baek carefully tailors your traditional bridge — and all of our bridges — to blend seamlessly in your mouth. Your replacement tooth will look just like your natural teeth. Once the bridge is in place, no one should be able to tell the difference. 

Cantilever bridge

What if you don’t have teeth on either side of your gap? Don’t worry. In these cases, Dr. Baek can fit you with a cantilever bridge.

To use this type of bridge, she prepares the single tooth that’s next to your gap for a crown. Then, she makes your cantilever bridge, attaching the replacement tooth to the crown. Finally, she bonds the crown in place, which secures the replacement tooth in your mouth, too. 

Maryland bridge

Not all bridges use crowns. With a Maryland bridge, your replacement tooth gets attached to a porcelain or metal framework. 

This framework has wings on either side of the replacement tooth. By bonding those wings to the back of your teeth on either side of your smile gap, Dr. Baek secures the replacement tooth in place in a way that no one can see. 

Clearly, when it comes to bridges, you have options. To learn which type of bridge will be best to fill the gap in your smile, don’t hesitate to call our office or schedule an appointment online today.