Dental bridge is a dental restoration treatment to overcome the problem of missing teeth. Dental bridges are made of several types of materials that you can choose from, for example porcelain, metal, a mixture of metal and porcelain, or zircornia ceramics. Because it is permanent, aka does not need to be removed like removable dentures, and also because of its strong durability, dental bridges are one of the most popular dental restoration treatment methods.
A dental bridge is installed using one or two natural teeth as a support for dentures that are placed in an empty tooth cavity. That's why this method is called a bridge because the dentures are attached to the natural teeth like a bridge. Natural teeth or abutments that will be fitted with a crown or crown are called abutments, while dentures that fill an empty cavity are called pontics.
Well, dental bridges also have several types that can be adjusted to the condition of your teeth.
- Traditional Dental Bridge
This type of bridge is the most commonly installed which consists of two crowns or supporting crowns that are placed on the natural teeth between the empty tooth cavities. The materials used for traditional types of dental bridges are a mixture of metal and ceramic or ceramic according to your needs or the condition of your teeth. This dental bridge is also the most suitable to be installed on the back teeth because two dental supports can help the pontic teeth become stronger.
- Cantilever Bridge
If there is only one natural tooth next to the empty cavity, then this type of cantilever bridge can be installed. But unfortunately, this type is no longer recommended for the back teeth, because if you just rely on one tooth, you can actually damage your natural teeth, especially because the function of the back teeth has to work hard to process food.
- Maryland Bridge
This bridge is also called a resin-bonded bridge because the method is not to attach a crown to the natural tooth as a support, but instead attaches it to the back of the natural tooth using a special adhesive. Maryland dental bridges are usually made of metal, ceramic alloy, only ceramic or plastic whose framework is made of metal or porcelain ceramics. This type of bridge is suitable for overcoming the problem of missing teeth in the front.
Ref.: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-bridges