Procedures
Dental bridge
A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth with artificial teeth that are anchored to the teeth or implants on either side of the gap.
Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, a bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth. It literally bridges the gap where one or more teeth used to be. The artificial tooth is called a pontic.
Bridges can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials. They are attached to surrounding teeth for support. Those teeth are called abutment teeth. Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist. An implant bridge attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue.
Your dentist can talk with you about bridges and other ways to replace a tooth, such as a dental implant. Our office describes bridges on its dental bridge page.