Dental Bridges in the Centre of Hamburg
Tooth gaps can have various reasons and severe consequences for your health and your daily life if not treated with a denture. Gaps in your teeth cause aesthetical problems and impair your ability to chew and speak, and sometimes they even pose a risk for the jaw joints.
There are different forms of dentures to close a tooth gap: dental implants, crowns, prostheses, as well as so-called dental bridges. With this tried and tested denture treatment gaps of one or more teeth can be “bridged”.
Dental Bridge
| Suitable for: | min. two stable abutment teeth | |
| Anaesthesia: | Local anaesthetics | |
| Benefits: | Restoration of the ability to chew | |
| Advantages: | Closing of tooth gap | |
| Necessary if: | Singe tooth gap |
Advantages of the Zahnklinik ABC Bogen
Having direct access to our own laboratory enables us to establish immediate communication between you, your doctor and the dental technician, without information being lost or time wasted. Be it the identification of the colour of your teeth, the trial-in-mouth, or whenever it is necessary for your individual treatment: Our dental technicians are on-site and receive all the required information
Our Advantages at a Glance
- Quality on an international level in regards to aesthetics, functionality, accuracy of fit, and durability
- With state-of-the-art CAD/CAM-technology and a maximum of precision the material is made into dental bridges
- In our dental laboratory, we use elaborate and individual layering techniques to make your bridge resemble your natural teeth in colour, structure and shape
- Continuous intensive training of our dental technicians
- The ceramic used in our laboratory delivers in terms of brilliancy, transparency and the refraction of light and is on par with your natural teeth
Preconditions for a Dental Bridge
To provide a dental bridge with the necessary stability it needs so-called abutments: neighbouring teeth that surround the tooth gap and are capped with a crown. However, if these teeth show a diseased dental root or are crooked, they can’t serve as abutments or pillars for the crown. In this case, a dental bridge treatment isn’t possible. Alternatives are the implant-supported crown, an implant-supported bridge or a removable prosthesis.
The stability of the abutment teeth has to be secured before the treatment can start. Otherwise, instead of dental crowns on the abutment teeth dental implants can be inserted into the jaw. If the abutment teeth are healthy and don’t have any fillings, a dental implant should be considered first. What is more, prior to the treatment the doctor has to make sure there are no inflammations of the mouth or the teeth. For this purpose, teeth, gums and jaw bone are examined closely.
If the teeth that are serving as abutments or pillars for the bridge should have amalgam fillings, we recommend replacing those prior to the treatment with non-metallic fillings.
Procedure of Getting a Bridge
Usually, if a tooth gap is surrounded by two healthy teeth, the gap is closed with a dental bridge. Both teeth will be crowned and used as abutments or pillars for the bridge to give it the necessary stability. A precondition for that is that the surrounding teeth are solid and their roots are in good health—only if this is the case the bridge can be securely fastened.
At least two surrounding teeth that are enclosing a tooth gap have to be prepared. They need to be ground for that purpose, dental substance has to be removed so the crown can be fitted onto the teeth. With a special concrete the bridge is fastened onto the abutments.
A dental bridge entirely made of ceramic provides an appealing line of teeth and plays an integral role in maintaining healthy teeth. For the bridge to be securely fastened, the tooth gap has to consist of a maximum of two missing teeth. If more than two teeth are missing, we recommend a treatment with implants as an alternative.
Dental bridges have a limited life span. However, they last more than ten years on average. Generally, a bridge provides a high level of comfort and can hardly be distinguished from your natural teeth.
Material of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges consist of the so-called bridge body and abutments. The number of abutments depends on the number of missing teeth. They are made of stainless steel with a ceramic coat or entirely of ceramics.
A bridge with compound materials like plastic is a less expensive alternative. However, such a bridge doesn’t last longer than a few years and often has to be tweaked or replaced. That is why, synthetic materials are usually used for long-term temporary bridges.
Especially bridges that use all-ceramic or ceramic compounds offer great looks. The colour can be made to precisely resemble your natural teeth which makes them very handy for the use with your front teeth.
Should you suffer from a metal allergy, bridges with stainless steel might be unsuitable for you. Don’t hesitate to talk to us about the right material for you.
Types of Dental Bridges
Switching Bridge
A switching bridge closes the gap between two teeth and protects them from moving towards the gap. This type of bridge deploys abutments that are bonded onto crowned neighbouring teeth. In-between lies the so-called pontic bridge unit – a centrepiece that closes the tooth gap. A switching bridge ideally reconstructs your natural smile.
Telescopic Bridge
Categorised as a combined denture, one part of the telescopic bridge is firmly attached in mouth while the other part can be removed. For this kind of bridge, caps are cemented on top of the abutment teeth onto which the bridge is placed.
This way, the bridge can be removed to be cleaned but is securely fastened in the mouth while it is worn. A telescopic bridge is commonly used, when several teeth are missing and only a few abutment teeth are remaining. Being very complicated to manufacture, they do cost more than other bridge constructions.
Cantilever Bridge
Tooth gaps located in the back of the mouth with suitable abutment teeth only on one side can be closed with a so-called cantilever bridge.
This kind of bridge is bonded onto several abutment teeth, as it can only be fastened on one side of the gap. However, this construction design applies a lot of pressure on the abutments, which can cause these teeth to fracture. What is more, after some time the bridge can debond from the abutments due to its low stability. For this reason, cantilever bridges are rarely applied.
Floating Bridge
A “floating” bridge construction was developed in order not to irritate the lining of the mouth. Its central pontic “floats” three millimetres above the gum and therefore doesn’t touch the lining of the mouth. This kind of bridge is deployed for treatments of the lower jaw and is very easy to clean.
Combined Bridge
Tooth gaps can occur in different places in your mouth, they can vary in the number of missing teeth and are surrounded by a tooth or teeth of varying health. That is why, dental medicine has developed a solution for each kind of tooth gap, that can also combine different bridge parts with each other.
The combined bridge is such a hybrid construction that can combine the teeth used as abutments with dental implants. It is used, when two or more teeth are missing in a gap and at least one healthy tooth remains next to it, or when the gap is located at the end of your line of teeth.
Because implants are used, this kind of bridge is more expensive than other alternatives.
Maryland Bridge
The pontic of a Maryland bridge is bonded or glued onto the backs of the surrounding abutment teeth. It is particularly suitable to replace missing front teeth. Formerly, this kind of bridge was used as a temporary solution due to its minor stability.
However, thanks to recent scientific research and new kinds of processing, Maryland bridges have gained in popularity as an alternative to conventional bridge types. They are highly recommended if the loss of dental substance of the abutment teeth has to be kept at a minimum.
Inlay Bridge
As opposed to conventional bridges, the anchors of inlay bridges to consist of the usual dental crowns. Nonetheless, inlays are boned to abutment teeth as well but they use a filling that is individually made of ceramic or gold in the dental laboratory.
Costs of Dental Bridges
The costs for your individual dentures vary depending on the method, kind of denture and material. We are here to make sure to consult you on any costs involved, particularly after your examination and after your health insurance has sent your personal therapeutic and cost schedule. We are also happy to give you helpful advice and go through possible alternatives.