Which Type Of Dental Bridge Is Best For Back Teeth?

Posted on: 21 December 2022

When you lose a tooth, the best thing to do is replace that tooth as soon as you can. Dental bridges are one of the tooth replacement options you can choose from. Dental bridges can replace one or more teeth in the front or back of the mouth. But if you want a dental bridge for one or more teeth in the back of your mouth, you need to choose the right kind of dental bridge.

There are four main types of dental bridges:

  • Traditional dental bridge, which requires two abutment teeth on either side of the pontic.
  • Cantilever dental bridge, which requires only one abutment tooth adjacent to the pontic.
  • Maryland bridge, which utilizes metal wings cemented to teeth on either side of the pontic.
  • Dental implant-supported bridge, which uses one or more dental implants as abutment teeth.

Of these types of bridges, traditional bridges and dental implant-supported bridges are best suited to replacing teeth in the back of the mouth. Because the back teeth exert a lot of force while chewing, cantilever and Maryland bridges are not strong enough to replace back teeth.

Traditional bridge

A simple traditional dental bridge that replaces one missing tooth consists of two supporting teeth, also called abutment teeth, and one pontic or false tooth. However, traditional bridges can also have several false teeth attached to them to replace several missing teeth. Because traditional bridges have the support of two abutment teeth, one on each side, they can withstand a lot of chewing pressure.

If you need to replace a molar tooth, as long as you have two healthy teeth on either side of the missing molar, you can opt for a traditional bridge. The downside to traditional bridges is that your dentist will need to reduce the size of the two abutment teeth to accommodate dental crowns. However, the dental crowns will provide protection for the abutment teeth.

Dental implant-supported bridge

The simplest form of a dental implant-supported bridge is one dental implant that supports one adjacent pontic. You might choose a dental implant-supported bridge if you don't wish to sacrifice a natural tooth as an abutment. Once healed, a dental implant can provide great support for a false tooth in the back of the mouth.

The biggest downside to dental implants is that the healing process takes several months.

Are you struggling to chew your food because of missing back teeth? Then consider choosing a traditional dental bridge or a dental implant-supported bridge to replace those teeth.

For more information about dental bridges, contact a local dental office.

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