Types of dental bridge

A dental bridge bridges the gaps between teeth by using crowns or wings to hold the bridge in place. There are three types of dental bridges:

l Traditional Bridge: The most commonly used bridge, a traditional bridge consists of two crowns and up to three bridges. The crown is attached to the two healthy teeth on either side of the gap where the bridge hangs.

l Cantilever Bridge: This option contains only one crown and up to three bridges. Cantilever bridges are necessary when adjacent teeth already have crowns, the patient has only one tooth next to the missing tooth, or when it is most aesthetically beneficial.

l Implant-supported bridges: Instead of using healthy teeth to support the bridge, implants hold it in place. This is the most durable and long-lasting dental bridge option.

Dental bridge

Benefits of dental bridge

Here are the advantages of choosing a bridge over dentures or implants:

Dental bridges do not require surgery. Unless you have an implant-supported bridge in place, you won't need surgery to restore your smile. Traditional bridges, cantilever bridges, and Maryland bridges are quick and easy outpatient procedures that can be done in one go and do not require prolonged healing.

Dental bridges are more affordable than implants. Budget is something most people consider when it comes to dental restorations. Bridges are much less expensive because they do not require surgery or are as precise as dental implants.

Dental bridges are safer than dentures. Patients with dentures often complain that their dentures move around or fall out while eating or talking. Bridges are attached to other teeth or implants, not the gums.

Bridges look and feel more realistic than dentures. Likewise, dentures often move in the mouth, which is uncomfortable for the patient but noticeable to those around them. Dental bridges look and feel more like natural teeth, so almost no one will know they're not real!

Which material is best for a dental bridge

 As our teeth get older, the need for bridges, which are used to replace missing teeth, may increase.

Our Bloomden offers our customers a choice of bridge materials including: PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), PMMA, Wax, Zirconia.

1. PEEK blocks

 Compared with traditional materials, PEEK has huge advantages. It has high strength-to-weight ratio and elastic properties similar to human bone. It has zero corrosion rate, very low water absorption, and is radiolucent, meaning it is invisible to X-rays. There are also few or no reports of allergic reactions in patients. PEEK has a natural, non-contrasting color, which means it looks more natural in the patient's mouth, and because it can be digitally designed and manufactured, dentures made from PEEK have excellent accuracy and fit. Compared to metal implants, PEEK is advantageous because it eliminates any metallic taste and is less sensitive to any temperature changes caused by diet.

PEEK Blocks

PEEK has many other benefits, including:

l Can be digitally engineered and milled to precisely match the patient's mouth

l No thermal or electrical conductivity

l No soreness or irritation to the patient

l Robust, melting temperature of 340°C

l Stain resistant

l Lightweight, so easy for patients to wear

l Absorbs body heat instantly, making it feel "natural"

2. Dental PMMA blocks

Dental PMMA is also one of the options for dental bridges.

l Conventional PMMA: it is used in the manufacture of various temporary dental restorations, including complex structures such as implants or bridges.

l Flexible PMMA: high tensile and flexural strength for partial removable denture reinforcement frames, temporary restorations.

l Multilayer Pmma: it is an aesthetic temporary material that combines more than five layers of color to give restorations a maximum natural appearance.

l Clear PMMA: it is ideal for making dental bridge.

3. Wax blocks

Wax blocks are often used to protect braces from irritation of the oral soft tissue, it can also be used tomaking dental bridges.

Bloomden Wax blocks

4. Zirconia blocks

l Aesthetics: All-ceramic tooth restoration has a realistic and beautiful appearance, and the color is similar to natural teeth. The most important thing is that all-ceramic teeth have good transparency and refraction, and there will be no black lines on the neck of the tooth, so that the neck of the tooth can also achieve a good aesthetic effect, which is impossible to catch up with ordinary porcelain teeth.

l Biocompatibility: Zirconia for medical and dental applications has excellent properties in terms of biosafety. Over the years, a large number of experimental and clinical cases have proved that zirconia has no toxic damage to bone and soft tissue cells, and there are no reports of allergic reactions.

l High Strength and density:

(1) Zirconia ceramics are yttrium-stabilized zirconia ceramics with high flexural strength. At present, the strength of materials registered in China has reached 900MPa, while the national standard for dental materials is 100MPa.

(2) Compared with other all-ceramic restoration materials, the strength of zirconia material enables doctors to achieve extremely high strength without excessive grinding of the patient's real teeth. Among them, Vita all-ceramic plus-yttrium and plus-stabilized oxide Zirconia is also known as ceramic steel.

l Precision: Production is accomplished through computer-aided design, laser scanning, and computer-programmed grinding. It guarantees the precision of the moulded coping and excellent edge tightness, making the porcelain tooth fit perfectly with the abutment in the patient's mouth.

l Low radioactivity: The standards of the State Food and Drug Administration have strict standards for all ceramic materials on the market, and can only be used as medical materials after meeting the requirements of radiological experiments. Not only are there requirements for zirconia, but also for decorative porcelain, alumina, glass ceramics, etc. Experiments show that the radioactivity of pure zirconia powder is not only lower than that of glass ceramics, but also lower than that of human bone tissue.

Bloomden Dental zirconia block

Find the right restoration for your smile

You can choose the most suitable bridge material according to your needs under the guidance of your doctor. Better trust, better smile. We are committed to giving you the best smile possible. If you need dental materials, please contact us.

Clinical case used Bloomden materials