There is a lot of treatments for the missing teeth eg dentures or implants. A famous treatment is dental bridging. A dental bridge is another type of treatment or one can say that a solution for the missing teeth. It is actually a false tooth or may be teeth which are infused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth or teeth. There are basically two types of dental bridging:
a) Fixed bridging
b) Cantilever bridging
Two crowns each on the either sides of the false tooth to hold it in its place. Such type of bridging is called fixed bridging. It has a disadvantage or may be in some cases a big advantage that fixed bridges can not be taken out of the mouth as one might do with removable partial dentures. Bridges are actually cemented in place, so they can not be removed for cleaning purpose. So, special care should be taken for the natural teeth. To clean the gap under the bridge a special dental floss is used. One can not feel free from getting gum diseases and has to go to see the doctor monthly or in some cases weekly.
There is another type of dental bridge that is called as cantilever bridge. This type of bridging is used for the teeth or tooth that remains under less stress like front teeth. When there teeth on only one side of the open space only then cantilever bridging is done.
Bridges actually reduce the risks of gum diseases, help correct some bite related issues and even improve speech. But to acquire all above mentioned advantages one must have to do commit to serious oral hygiene. The maximum time period of bridges is almost five to ten years and its life may decrease if proper care is not taken.
Now the next question arises that bridges are made up of what? Most bridges are made up of porcelain material or sometimes it is made up of some other metal. There are a lot of designs for the dental bridges. It depends on the choice of the patient that what type of design he / she wants to choose for bridging purpose.
With the more advancement in the dentistry field dental implants were introduced in 1970s and since then dental implants have been in widespread use. Dental implants have an advantage over dental bridges; they are fixed to the jawbone directly and are permanent. Still dental implant is unable to exclude dental bridges from the dentistry because of its widespread use since so many years.