Today we are exploring Pros and Cons of Bridge on the teeth. Do you knowA dental bridge is a prosthetic construction that is used to restore the integrity of rows and replace missing units. The technology has been successfully used in dentistry for decades, as it allows you to restore the aesthetic appeal of a smile and restore the full functioning of incisors, canines, and molars. Products of different types have their own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
Bridge on the teeth: general characteristics
With the help of prosthetics, a number of visual and functional dental problems are solved. The name for the installation was not chosen by chance, because the principle of the device resembles engineering structures. The artificial crowns are held on the base, and the adjacent intact incisors, canines, and molars act as anchors.
The choice of the appropriate type of construction depends not only on the financial capabilities and personal preferences of the patient but also on his medical history. That is why a full recovery is impossible without a thorough diagnosis, medical examination, and adjustment of the finished system, created from casts to the required parameters.
Types of dental bridges
Modern dental clinics offer many options for restoring lost units with bridges. They differ according to different criteria:
- According to the manufacturing method – solid, adhesive, stamped, pressed, combined;
- By material – metal, cermet, ceramic, plastic, zirconium dioxide, and aluminum oxide;
- According to the method of attachment – locking, adhesive, on healthy teeth, on implants.
There is a classification and purpose. For example, artificial prostheses are restorative, splinting, temporary, and permanent.
Manufacturing technology
The main selection criterion is the amount of time spent on creating a structure according to the individual standards of a particular patient. There are 3 main groups:
- Solid cast. Ideally adhering to hard and soft tissues, airtight. In this way, it is possible to reproduce the natural shape with high precision. They are strong and durable. The disadvantages include the need to grind healthy teeth, as well as the use of high-precision casting, and the high cost of production.
- Adhesive. Modeling takes place directly in the oral cavity. This is a gentle alternative to the previous method when only one element is missing. Grinding adjacent crowns is not necessary, the plates are glued to them on a special cement composition.
- Stamped. An outdated option that most doctors refuse because the product weighs a lot and often leads to injury to the supports.
Material for manufacturing
From the type of raw materials from which products are made, their durability, practicality, and care depend. In modern clinics, there are many options for every taste and budget. Types of bridges and their features (photos are presented in the article):
- Metal. Actively used decades ago, they were cast from precious metals, gold, and silver. Differ in high durability and reasonable price. However, this type has a significant drawback: dentition looks unattractive. It is also possible to damage the supporting elements.
- Metal-ceramic. The base consists of an alloy, which is complemented by ceramic inserts. This option is considered ideal with an optimal ratio of cost and high quality. The color is selected according to the shade of the enamel.
- Ceramic. There is no all-metal cast frame. Such teeth look quite natural but do not tolerate strong mechanical stress due to fragility. You have to be very careful while wearing it.
- Plastic. They are mainly used as temporary substitutes for permanent products for the period of their manufacture in the laboratory. They are produced very quickly, do not cause allergic reactions, weigh little, and look attractive, but serve for a short time.
- From zirconia. All-ceramic combined dental bridges based on such a basis are among the most modern. They incorporate all the advantages of their predecessors: lightweight, reliable, aesthetic appeal, hypoallergenic, and long service life.
- From aluminum oxide. Not common enough because they are exorbitantly priced. In terms of durability, strength, beauty, and other characteristics, they have proven themselves exclusively on the positive side.
Mount type
Structures are attached in different ways, the most common in dentistry:
- Fixation on healthy units. The product consists of crowns with holes designed for teeth and bridges that connect them. For strength, the elements are made in one piece. When choosing this type, preliminary grinding and depopulation will be required. Dentists resort to the last procedure less and less, modern technologies allow in some cases to skip this stage.
- On implants. When choosing this method, intact incisors, canines, and molars remain intact. They will not grind and depopulate. However, the cost of treatment increases significantly.
adhesive method. The bridge is not put on supports but is attached to the rear surface using special composite compounds. - Castle mount. This is a removable bridge prosthesis, which, if necessary, can be detached and returned to its place. Grinding of supporting crowns is also not carried out.
Indications and contraindications for installation
The procedure is indicated when a person is missing one molar or 1-4 front incisors and canines. At the same time, intact teeth should remain on the sides, which will later act as supporting elements and withstand the greatest pressure when chewing food. Also, this is indispensable when the previous design has become unusable.
Despite all the advantages of orthopedic intervention, there is a list of cases when it is contraindicated:
- Absence of more than 4 crowns;
- Bruxism (involuntary grinding of the jaws, which is most often observed at night);
- Malocclusion (before prosthetics, you will have to undergo long-term orthodontic treatment);
- The acute form of periodontitis or severe periodontal disease;
- Pathological abrasion of the enamel layer;
- Diseases of the skeletal system (for example, osteomyelitis);
- Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity;
- Poor hygiene prevents installation.
In addition, here you can also include general contraindications to surgical intervention. These are problems with blood clotting, allergic reactions to drug components, materials of manufacture, chronic diseases during an exacerbation, taking drugs that prevent blood clots, and mental disorders.
Advantages and disadvantages of dental bridges
Advantages of bridges in orthopedic dentistry:
- No need to wait until the installed structure takes root. That is, there is no need for osseointegration, which can last up to six months. It turns out that the adaptation process lasts quite quickly (up to 12 hours).
- This is the most economical option for restoring rows when individual units are lost than implantation.
- Modern technologies make it possible to obtain aesthetically attractive artificial teeth with full functioning. Hidden elements (mounts, etc.) are not visible to others, so no one will even notice medical intervention.
- The procedure has practically no contraindications. The bridge is also placed in the case when it is impossible to implant the implant.
- Normal diction is maintained.
Weak sides:
- It is necessary to grind adjacent crowns remaining in the mouth. Very often, dentists resort to deportation (removal of the nerve, cleaning and cementing the canals).
- The normal load on the jawbone is not fully restored. When a person chews food, the supports are loaded, and the central part practically does not participate in this. As a result, the risk of bone atrophy increases.
Installation of a dental bridge: stages of the procedure
The process of manufacturing and installation of the structure is simple and does not require additional actions aimed at violating the integrity of soft tissues, suturing, etc. The adaptation period is easy and painless. Despite the simplicity, the doctor and the patient will have to go through several successive steps before the lost units are fully restored. On average, 3 visits to the dental office will be required.
Stage 0: pre-procedure oral hygiene
If during the initial examination, the specialist suggested installing a bridge prosthesis, he should carefully examine the oral cavity. One of the main conditions for the appointment of treatment is the absence of carious lesions, inflammatory processes, and other dental disorders.
The duration of this period depends on the condition of hard and soft tissues. If a person regularly visited the clinic for preventive purposes, it is likely that a routine cleaning without applying filling material will be required. In the presence of advanced diseases, they must be treated, and only then you can contact an orthopedist.
Stage 1: preparation of abutment teeth and fabrication of a bridge
When the dentist is satisfied that all units are completely healthy, the support is selected. Elements are turned, de-pulped, and roots are sealed.
Impressions are taken from finished fixtures. They are sent to the dental laboratory.
While the permanent product is being made, the patient will have to wear a temporary plastic-based one. This may take 1-2 weeks, depending on the workload of the institution and the complexity of the technological processes.
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When there are not enough natural teeth, or they are of too poor quality, they cannot be cured and properly prepared for the procedure, implantation is indicated. Usually, two anchor points are implanted.
Stage 2: installation of a fixed prosthesis
At the last visit to the dental clinic, the plastic structure is dismantled, and a laboratory-made one based on casts is installed in its place. The orthopedist checks how tightly the material adheres to the surfaces. There should be no obstruction to the closure of the jaws and visible color differences, otherwise, the artificial areas will be conspicuous.
A full fitting, fitting, and fixing are performed. For greater reliability, a special cement is applied.
If the client feels discomfort, prosthetics are not performed. The system is dismantled and returned to the laboratory for adjustment. In the absence of discomfort, the treatment is completed.
Adaptation occurs even during the period of wearing plastic. This means that in a few hours, the patient will be able to freely return to his usual way of life. The doctor gives recommendations on the operation and care of the product, appoints scheduled examinations, and brings other important information.
Recommendations after installation
Artificial structures also need to be properly looked after. If hygiene rules are not followed, this will significantly reduce the life of the product, and the patient will again have to use the services of an orthopedist.
Dentists recommend the following measures for dental prosthetics with bridges:
- Daily brushing in the morning and evening. It is necessary to use a brush and paste. After each meal, you need to rinse your mouth with clean water or rinse, using floss (dental floss).
- Hard-to-reach areas and interdental spaces are cleaned with sweeping movements without pressure on the crowns.
- It is important to exclude from the diet hard nuts, seeds, and other foods that can cause chips and cracks.
- For the first time after installation, you should not drink coffee and tea, red wine, or freshly squeezed juice.
- You should visit the dental clinic for preventive examinations at least once every six months, and undergo professional cleaning.
All designs have a certain lifespan. It depends on the material used and the manufacturing technique. This period varies from 5 to 15 years. Sooner or later, the product will have to be replaced, otherwise, it may simply break and fall out.
The device is removed prematurely with the following problems:
- Loosening;
- Breakage of crowns;
- Chipping of small fragments, the appearance of microcracks;
- Inflammation of soft tissues, bleeding gums;
- Washing out of the cement composition on which the system rests.
Only a specialist can safely remove the prosthesis; you cannot do it yourself at home. Subject to all the rules listed above, the smile will remain dazzling for a long time, and replacement will not be required soon.
How much does it cost to build a bridge?
The price of bridge crowns for teeth is formed from the cost category of casts, the design itself, installation, and fitting services. There are the cheapest options available to most patients, but they will be significantly inferior to the expensive ones in terms of performance and other characteristics.
On average, a budget bridge can be installed for 3 thousand rubles. Zirconium and ceramic-metal elements will cost 20 thousand or more, especially if implantation was performed.
The main factors on which the final amount of the installation depends
What affects the cost of orthopedic intervention:
- Manufacturing material. Plastic can be bought several times cheaper than metal or ceramics. The last option with a zirconia framework is the most expensive.
- The use of implants. They can significantly increase the number of zeros in the check.
- The number of items to install.
- Clinic location. Treatment in Moscow is much more expensive than in the regions.
- The pricing policy of a dental institution. This is due to market conditions, competitiveness, status, and reputation of dentists.
Final Thought on Bridge on the teeth
Prosthetics allows you to restore lost dental units in a short time and without large material costs. When installing the structure, certain conditions must be met, and the patient should go through several successive stages. Unfortunately, despite the obvious advantages, bridges are not without negative sides. In addition, there are contraindications when it is impossible to restore the aesthetic appeal of a smile without harm to health in this way.