A Dental bridge may be recommended if you're missing one or more teeth. Gaps left by missing teeth eventually cause the remaining teeth to rotate or shift into the empty spaces, resulting in a bad bite. The imbalance caused by missing teeth can also lead to gum disease and Temporomandibular joint disorders.
Dental Bridges are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth. They span the space where the teeth are missing. Bridges are cemented to the natural teeth or Dental implants surrounding the empty space. These teeth, called abutments, serve as anchors for the bridge. A replacement tooth, called a pontic, is attached to the crowns that cover the abutments. As with crowns, you have a choice of materials for bridges. Your dentist can help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth), its function, aesthetic considerations and cost. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.
There are different types of Dental bridges –in traditional bridge the pontic (false tooth) is attached to the support giving teeth called as abutment teeth.
The other type is cantilever which is given when the missing tooth which has to be replaced is the last tooth and support giving teeth that are the abutment teeth are only on one side.
There is another one which is called as the Maryland Bridge –this type of bridges are recommended when the front and back teeth of the missing tooth are healthy. In this the metallic band hidden from view binds the pontic to the abutment teeth.