Tooth Bridge

Types of Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are available in different materials and material combinations. If desired, they can be color-matched to the patient’s natural teeth. How long the bridge will last will depend on how the patient cares for it, what materials it is made of, and what state the bridge pillars are in. With good oral hygiene, dental bridges have an average lifespan of 20 years.

Depending on the individual oral situation, the dentist makes a

• Free-end bridge (extension bridge)
• Adhesive bridge (adhesive bridge, Maryland bridge) or
• Inlay bridge

Free-end bridges are only fixed to the natural dentition on one side because the back teeth / molars are missing. If the posterior molar no longer exists, crown the two teeth in front and connect them with each other. This makes the bridge construction more stable. Free-end bridges are only useful if the two adjacent teeth are sufficiently stable. Under no circumstances should the free end of the dental bridge be too long. In the posterior molar region, sometimes an implant can be the better solution.

Adhesive bridges are used exclusively in the anterior region. In addition, the bridge piers are only trimmed on the inside. The adhesive bridge is not fastened by crowns but by thin metal plates. The dental treatment is gentler on this kind of dentures than other types of bridges. Adhesive bridges are usually used in young people as a temporary solution, if the lost front tooth can not be replaced by a dental implant. They are not as stable as fixed bridges and therefore last only about 5 years.

Inlay bridges are not anchored with a crown, but an inlay in the adjacent natural teeth. Inlays are fillings manufactured in the laboratory made of plastic, ceramic or gold. Inlay bridges have the advantage that you do not have to grind the abutment teeth. However, the fillings can be loosened through the chewing process: they are just glued. Inlay bridges are only technically feasible if the bridge piers are not damaged too much.

What are the uses of dental bridges?

Tooth gaps affect the chewing process and are responsible for making the patient feel worse when he says something. In addition, depending on where the teeth are missing, they are sometimes clearly visible. In addition,endanger tooth gaps the stability of the adjacent teeth. Since they stand free in the jaw on one side, they can slip into the gap. The crooked teeth often cause problems when chewing.

Tooth bridges are only useful if the adjacent abutment teeth are in good condition, so at best many years are viable. Therefore, the dentist must first clean up the abutment teeth before making a bridge. Depending on the medical findings, this is done by means of a build-up filling after the removal of caries or a treatment of the gum disease.

If there is only one stump remaining from the bridge pier, you can possibly stabilize it with a pin construction. To do this, simply anchor it in the root canal.

Cost of dental bridges

Anyone who wants to have a dental bridge made can do so at a dentist of their choice. The statutory health insurance companies provide fixed subsidies, the amount of which varies according to the medical findings. If the patient has a bonus booklet, they receive a 20 or 30 percent bonus on their holiday allowance. The higher it is, the lower the patient's own contribution. The total cost of the bridge depend on

• which dentist he chooses,
• which lab this dentist works with,
• what kind of bridge he wants to make,
• how many teeth the bridge body has,
• in what area of the dentition, the bridge is provided (anterior, incisor , molar area) and
• whether it is to be attached to 2 (standard case) or 4 bridge piers.

In addition, the chosen materials, qualities and the scope of the preparatory work plays a role. The costs consist of

• the dentist's fee,
• the laboratory costs and
• the material costs.

The most cost-effective are cast bridges, the most expensive dentures made of precious metal alloys. Gold alloys are to be paid in full by themselves. The health insurance regular care consists only of partial veneers. If the patient wants a full veneer, he has to pay for it himself. Dental bridges cost on average between 500 and 3,000 euros - depending on the dentist. Therefore, it is worthwhile to compare several providers before.