Installation of bridges for teeth (photos are given in the article) in modern dentistry is the best and most common way to restore the integrity of the dentition in the absence of one or more chewing organs. Demand for them is high and is unlikely to fall in the near future. And with proper and careful care, dentures can last for quite a long time - up to 10 years. But what are these products and what are their strengths and weaknesses? When choosing a method of prosthetics, this is especially important.
The feasibility of using this kind of structures is determined by a specialist, and the installation itself is carried out taking into account many factors. Let's take a closer look at this type of prosthetics and find out what advantages and disadvantages dental bridges have, and also touch on a number of other points.
What is a bridge?
Similara kind of construction is an orthopedic product that, for efficiency, needs supporting elements located on both sides of one or more missing teeth. Actually, the dental bridges themselves consist of two parts:
- Basic crowns - they are fixed on natural supporting teeth so that the whole structure is securely fixed.
- The intermediate link is already artificial teeth instead of the missing ones, their number is equal to the length of the defect.
At the same time, the supporting teeth must be strong in order to withstand the entire load that will fall on them when chewing or biting. Such products are relevant in relation to the end defect, that is, in the case of the complete absence of chewing teeth. However, before installing the bridge, it is necessary to implant at least one implant, which will be the support for it. Otherwise, the design will be partially removable. Some dentists do not recommend placing bridges on the front teeth, as there is a risk of root dislocation of the supporting elements.
The achievements of modern dentistry allow these constructions to restore not only the aesthetics of the dentition, but also its functionality instead of natural chewing organs. In addition, if you put a bridge on your teeth, then patients do not even have to revise their diet.
Bridge advantages
Fixed bridges definitely have strengths, otherwise how can one explain their widespread use? Some of the obvious benefits include:
- The defect is fixed quickly andpainless.
- The installation of bridges does not involve surgical intervention.
- Not only the appearance of the dentition is restored, but also its functional state.
- It doesn't take long to get used to dentures - on average it takes 2 or 3 days.
In addition, after installation, such designs will already be part of the face, and therefore you can hardly notice them.
At the same time, they have a clear advantage over removable dentures - there is no need to remove them every time for cleaning. For some people, this can turn into a tedious task. You can clean your bridges just like you clean your natural teeth.
Reverse side of the coin
As with any orthopedic construction, all dental bridges have certain disadvantages that must be taken into account in any case. The main disadvantage is the need to grind the abutment tooth. The bottom line is that after such processing, the unit becomes more fragile and collapses faster. In addition, often the dentist is forced to first remove the nerve, as well as fill the canals. In other words, in order to install just one bridge, two teeth are mechanically affected.
In rare cases, an allergic reaction develops. Irritation of the mucosa may also occur due to the tight fit of the structure. Heavy products lead to gum sagging over time.
Types of bridges
The classification of bridges is quite extensive and includesseveral criteria among which the following can be distinguished:
- Gingival fit - flushing, tangent, saddle (or butt-to-butt) designs.
- Production technology - soldered, solid cast, adhesive bridges.
- Used material - zirconium, ceramic, cermet, metal, metal-plastic.
Let's consider this classification in a little more detail.
Flush structures
When they are installed, free space is left between the product and the mucosa. This approach makes daily hygiene easier.
Tangent bridges
Many patients prefer to put bridges on their teeth of this particular design, rather than give preference to other varieties. In this case, the prosthesis touches the gums only on one side (vestibular). The aesthetics of the dentition in this case does not suffer, and therefore you can not hide your smile. In addition, there are no problems with the accumulation of food debris after each meal.
Loss of anterior teeth contributes to the distortion of diction, so this design is the best option to eliminate the gap. In addition, the inflammatory process of the mucosa in the area of adjacency of the intermediate part of the prosthesis can be avoided.
Saddle Bridge Structures
Find application in rare cases, and mainly in relation to the frontal dentition. The product fits snugly to soft tissues, but the appearance may suffer, which imposessome psychological discomfort. However, in some cases, this is the optimal solution when there is no choice.
The rarity of the use of bridges of this variety is due to the accumulation of the smallest particles of food, which leads to the active development of pathogens. As a result, bad breath appears, as well as inflammation of the gums - gingivitis.
Those patients who have been given this design should take a closer look at oral hygiene.
Brazed bridges
Like the saddle models mentioned above, they are not widely used in dental clinics. The whole structure is represented by stamped crowns (for supporting teeth), which are soldered to solid gaps.
Their main drawback is the presence of a metallic taste in the mouth, which will not please anyone. In addition, the quality leaves much to be desired. It is important to consider that in the manufacture of these prostheses, dissimilar metals are usually used, which can inevitably lead to the occurrence of galvanic current. In turn, this phenomenon is accompanied by various dental diseases.
But the disadvantages do not end there - the structure does not fit tightly to the supporting teeth. As a result, there is an accumulation of food debris and plaque. The development of caries is a matter of time, and under the crown it is very difficult to detect.
Solid products
Products are made in the laboratory on the basis of casts made by a doctor. In order to obtain strong and reliable bridges,a combination of chromium with cob alt or nickel. The result is an alloy that has enviable strength, reliability and, therefore, can last a long time. The risk of breaking such a prosthesis, even in the case of a heavy load, is minimal.
During the manufacture of a solid bridge for teeth, the photo of which you can see above, any error is excluded - the accuracy is kept to the limit. In addition, an alloy of cob alt and chromium is predominantly used, due to which there is no heterogeneity, as in the manufacture of brazed structures with stamped crowns.
However, such products also have their drawbacks. Firstly, the metal is visible in the oral cavity, which somewhat distorts the aesthetic side of the issue, although the anatomical shape of the teeth is completely recreated. But if desired, the frame can be hidden under ceramics or plastic.
Secondly, dental bridges are quite heavy. Largely for these reasons, such orthopedic products act as budget prosthetics to replace the side teeth.
Adhesive constructions
Which bridges are best for teeth? Adhesive constructions - a real breakthrough in dentistry! The main advantage of these orthopedic products is that it is not necessary to prepare he althy abutment teeth. True, they still have to be processed, but on a much smaller scale. In addition, even the removal of the dental nerve is not required, thus the unit will be left alive. At the same time, manufacturing is possible in the oral cavity itself and within one visit.
A fiberglass tape is glued to he althy abutment teeth, and artificial composite analogs are attached to it with the help of photopolymer materials. However, adhesive products have a noticeable drawback - the polymer changes color over time. In addition, the prosthesis itself is not as durable as soldered or cast structures.
Zirconium dioxide
This is almost the ideal version of the bridges on the lower teeth. These prostheses are manufactured using innovative CAD/CAM technology. Initially, the model is designed on a computer in three dimensions. In the future, on its basis, the prosthesis itself is machined from a solid block using a milling machine.
There are two types of such structures. In the first case, a frame is cast, then medical porcelain is applied on top. The result is products that are as close as possible to natural teeth. They even have transparency, like natural enamel. But such material is prone to chipping.
Another option is to manufacture from a monolithic block. The result is a stronger prosthesis. But here, too, there are nuances. Firstly, the products have an unnaturally white tint. Secondly, the transparency inherent in natural teeth is completely absent.
However, this does not prevent you from highlighting certain advantages if you need to decide which bridges are better to put on your teeth:
- The strength of prostheses is not inferior to metal structures.
- The only and optimal solution, if necessary, to close the absencethree or more teeth in a row.
In addition, these orthopedic products are relevant not only for lateral defects, they can be replaced with missing front units.
Ceramics
In this case we are talking about the E-Max system. And among a large number of non-removable prostheses, these products are distinguished by high aesthetic performance. The color of artificial substitutes is selected based on the anatomical features of the patient. And due to the high degree of transparency, these teeth are almost indistinguishable from natural enamel.
At the same time, certain disadvantages must be taken into account:
- The material itself is quite brittle, and therefore suitable for replacing canines and incisors. Only in rare cases can they be put instead of premolars. Due to its brittleness, it is not suitable for molars, since these teeth have a large load that ceramics cannot cope with.
- You can replace only one tooth, in case of loss of several units located nearby, this option is not suitable.
- High cost - the material is very expensive.
The only advantage of prosthetics with bridges of this type can be considered a slight degree of processing of supporting teeth.
Metal ceramics
This is already the preferred material for replacing even molars. In fact, this is a metal frame, on top of which a porcelain mass is laid. Only due to the lack of transparency, neither canines nor incisors should be replaced with such prostheses. In addition, it is worth considering one nuance - over time, constant contactthe lower part of the prosthesis with mucous leads to a gradual lowering of the gums (recession) and exposure of the metal. In addition, the soft tissues themselves acquire a bluish tint.
In addition to standard designs, other options are also made. Among them are prostheses of increased aesthetics - more expensive ceramic mass is used for cladding. Another variation is shoulder mass bridges, which also have a ceramic veneer on the underside to prevent receding gums and bluish appearance.
Metal
Metal bridges were common for a while. However, today they are treated less and less, which has brought these products into the category of budget orthopedic structures. This is understandable - metal products have many disadvantages. And among them are the following:
- Aesthetics leaves much to be desired - a metal bridge in the absence of a tooth looks bad against natural enamel.
- Due to poor marginal fit, soft tissues are injured, and the hygiene procedure is difficult to perform.
- The almost constant companions of metal bridges are galvanic currents, leading to galvanization and other serious complications.
- The crown of the tooth is gradually destroyed.
Of course, there are also advantages - an affordable price and good strength. In addition, when installing such prostheses, the turning of the supporting teeth is carried out to a small extent. The previously mentioned brazed and solid structures just refer tometal bridges.
Metal-plastic
These bridges can be considered one of the varieties of metal fixed prostheses. The frame here is made of metal, and a layer of plastic lies on top of it. The result is products with higher aesthetic values than their all-metal counterparts.
At the same time, metal-plastic bridges (after tooth extraction they are installed quite often due to affordable cost) have the same disadvantages as solid-cast bridges. Also, a number of nuances should not be discounted:
- plastic prone to chipping;
- the upper part of the dentures is affected by pigments, resulting in staining and darkening;
- the whole design looks bulky and often stands out from the rest of the teeth.
All these and many other nuances should be considered before giving preference to one or another orthopedic product. As you can see, each has its pros and cons. Therefore, in each case, you should look for the golden mean.
Bridge or implant?
Many patients of dental clinics are interested in the following question: what is better - a dental bridge or an implant? It all depends on the situation. In the absence of one or two teeth, it is more expedient to give preference to implants.
At the same time, dentists must first correctly assess the likelihood of such an installation, taking into account the general he alth of their patients. The benefits of implant placementobvious - the element is implanted into the bone structure itself, due to which a natural load is subsequently created during chewing food. In turn, this avoids atrophy of the jaw bone tissue, as it sags in the area of missing units.
Perhaps the only disadvantage of implantation is the high cost of the procedure. Therefore, if it is necessary to eliminate a longer defect (3 or more units in a row), the installation of a bridge prosthesis will be beneficial from an economic point of view.
Installation of bridges
The procedure for replacing the back and front upper teeth with a bridge (or lower) can be divided into several stages:
- First, the patient's oral cavity is examined. In the presence of traces of the carious process and other dental diseases, therapeutic and preventive measures are necessary, including the removal of plaque and tartar.
- If necessary, the dental nerve is removed, but for the most part the unit itself is left alive.
- Next follows the procedure for the preparation of dental tissues using a drill. As a rule, a layer of enamel and dentin is removed: from the upper part - 1.5-2.5 mm, from the side - 1-1.5 mm. In this case, it all depends on the type of prosthesis being installed.
- Impressions in progress.
- Based on the impressions in the laboratory, a plaster model of the jaw is made.
- Now the construction itself is being done, and depending on the complexity, it can take from 1 week to a month.
- At the final stage, the finished prosthesis is attached to the abutment teeth withaid cement.
As you can see, the prosthetic procedure can be carried out in two visits to the dental clinic by the patient. The first time the preparation of the oral cavity and the removal of casts takes place, and the second time the bridge is fixed.
Since the manufacture of a prosthesis takes not so little time, then during the period while it is being made, the dentist puts temporary plastic overlays to protect the treated teeth.
How much does a dental bridge cost?
How much will it cost to install a bridge? It all depends on many factors. The final price is formed from the cost of the design itself and the work of a specialist. You should also take into account the availability of the necessary procedures at the stage of preparing the tooth cavity for prosthetics.
The cheapest option is plastic dentures, while the expensive ones are made from zirconia. In addition, it is worth considering the pricing policy of the dental clinics themselves. On average, for the cheapest solution, you can pay from 3 to 5 thousand rubles. The cost of more expensive prostheses starts from 20 thousand.
Implant Bridge
Bridges can be supported not only by the teeth themselves (after appropriate treatment), but also by implants. Both cases have their pros and cons. Let's take a look at some significant differences between the two options. To complete the picture, and also to avoid puns, we will call bridges with implants innovative.
So it's timego to the description of the differences between bridges with implants and teeth (natural):
- Unlike the classic version, the design based on implants can last for a long time - from 15 to 20 years. Prosthetics with natural teeth will last at most 5 years.
- The traditional method does not allow replacing the entire dentition, that is, in the absence of all units. With a bridge on implants, this is not a problem.
- With innovative prostheses, when chewing, the load on the jaw is distributed evenly, as is the case with all he althy teeth.
- The traditional method of prosthetics differs not in such a long period of engraftment, which is inherent in the innovative one. In the latter case, it may take 3 to 6 months.
- When installing bridges with implants, he althy teeth are not affected.
And finally, the most important difference between bridges with implants and teeth lies in their cost.
The use of implants comes with certain benefits that may override those of traditional bridges. But the price for this is very high. Therefore, sometimes the only right way out is to give preference to bridges based on he althy teeth.
