Dental Bridges

Your new bridge is customized to the exact specifications of your smile. Before cementing to the underlying teeth or affixing it to the supporting implants, the shade, occlusion, and all aspects of its fit get carefully checked. In addition to being designed to blend seamlessly with your smile, it's also made to suit your bite and withstand all manner of oral function. We take great care to make sure your new restoration looks great, fits well, and that your bite feels comfortable.

Replacing missing teeth with a dental bridge is a worthwhile investment in the look, health, and function of your smile. While many dental insurances offer coverage for a dental bridge, and some toward the cost of implants, the benefits and amounts can vary significantly from plan to plan. At the office of Smiles Dental at Reston Town Center, we understand the financial considerations involved in care and do all we can to help patients begin treatment without any additional stress or delay. In addition to doing our best to optimize your dental benefits, we also offer several payment and financing options. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions on the cost of care, dental insurances, financing plans, or acceptable forms of payment.

Now that your new permanent crown or bridge is in place, it's essential to maintain good oral hygiene. With proper care, your new restorations will last for years to come. Make sure to brush and floss as instructed. We'll show you how to floss under your dental bridge to keep your new smile clean and bright. Remember to make appointments for your routine checkups and professional cleanings.

The standard answer is that with routine dental visits and good home care, a bridge can last ten to fifteen years, and in many cases, much longer.

At the office of Smiles Dental at Reston Town Center, we fabricate your bridge from the highest quality dental materials to achieve the most cosmetically pleasing and lifelike results of care. It's also customized to the exact specifications of your smile and designed for optimal aesthetics, strength, and stability. Once fabricated and cemented into place, you'll feel confident sharing your smile, speaking, and eating your favorite foods.

As your trusted partner in care, we analyze every aspect of your smile to develop a treatment plan that provides aesthetically pleasing, healthy, and long-lasting results of care.

For more information on dental bridges, or any services we provide, give us a call today.

A dental bridge is a fixed restorative appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth by spanning the gap with artificial teeth called pontics supported at each end. The most common designs anchor the pontics to crowns placed on adjacent natural teeth or to abutments attached to dental implants. Because bridges are cemented or screwed into place, they provide stable chewing surfaces and restore the visual continuity of the smile.

Bridges also play a preventive role by stopping neighboring teeth from shifting into the empty space, which helps preserve bite alignment and occlusal stability. Modern materials such as high-quality ceramics and zirconia combine strength with lifelike translucency for natural-looking results. Your dentist will explain how a bridge will integrate with your bite and long-term oral health goals during the treatment planning phase.

Even a single missing tooth can trigger a chain of changes in the mouth that affect function and long-term health. Adjacent teeth may drift into the vacancy, which alters bite relationships and can create uneven wear or new pressure points on other teeth. Without the counterforce of an opposing tooth, the tooth across the gap can over-erupt, which complicates chewing and may interfere with future restorative work.

Gaps also make daily hygiene more challenging and can increase the risk of decay and gum disease around the compromised area. Restoring the missing tooth in a timely manner helps preserve facial contours, maintain efficient chewing, and protect surrounding teeth from secondary problems. Addressing the issue early gives you more predictable options for a long-lasting restoration.

There are several bridge designs, each suited to different clinical circumstances and patient priorities. Traditional fixed bridges use crowns on healthy adjacent teeth to support the pontic and are often chosen when those neighboring teeth already need crowns or are strong enough to bear the load. Implant-supported bridges anchor the pontics to dental implants and are preferred when avoiding alteration of healthy teeth and when preserving jawbone is a priority.

Conservative options such as resin-bonded or Maryland bridges use a metal or ceramic wing bonded to the backside of adjacent teeth and are sometimes used for missing front teeth where bite forces are lower. Cantilever bridges extend a pontic from a single adjacent tooth and are reserved for locations where only one side can provide reliable support. Your dentist will review the pros and cons of each design relative to strength, tooth preparation, and esthetic needs.

Material selection also matters: all-ceramic and zirconia bridges offer superior esthetics without metal showing at the margin, while porcelain-fused-to-metal can provide extra strength in high-stress areas. The right combination of design and material depends on the tooth location, bite forces, and the condition of neighboring teeth. A careful clinical evaluation helps determine which bridge provides the best balance of appearance, function, and longevity for your case.

Implant-supported bridges are secured to dental implants rather than relying on natural teeth for support, which means adjacent healthy teeth usually do not require alteration. Because implants act like tooth roots, they transmit functional forces into the jawbone and help preserve bone volume and facial support over time. This approach can be especially beneficial when replacing multiple teeth in a row or when long-term bone maintenance is a priority.

Traditional fixed bridges depend on crowns placed over neighboring teeth to hold the pontics, so those abutment teeth must be prepared and reduced in size. While traditional bridges are effective and often less invasive initially, they place added load on the abutment teeth and may not offer the same bone-preserving advantages as implants. Your dentist will evaluate bone quantity, periodontal health, and restorative goals to recommend the most appropriate option for your situation.

Preparation begins with a comprehensive exam that assesses the health of the remaining teeth, gums, and jawbone. Any active decay or periodontal disease must be treated first to provide a stable foundation for the restoration, and the condition of potential abutment teeth is carefully evaluated for strength and support. If an implant-supported solution is planned, imaging and bone assessment identify whether grafting or other preparatory procedures are necessary to achieve predictable implant placement.

Esthetic goals and functional expectations are discussed so the team can design a restoration that fits your smile and lifestyle. Digital scans or precise impressions capture the shape of your teeth and bite to guide laboratory fabrication of the bridge. Clear communication during this phase helps ensure the final result meets your comfort, appearance, and chewing requirements.

The process for a traditional fixed bridge typically occurs over multiple visits, beginning with preparation of the abutment teeth where small amounts of tooth structure are removed to make room for crowns. Your dentist will take detailed impressions or digital scans to send to a dental laboratory, and a temporary restoration is placed to protect the prepared teeth and maintain function while the final bridge is fabricated. The temporary stage also allows you to evaluate the look and feel of the restoration and discuss any adjustments before the final cementation.

When the permanent bridge is ready, the dentist verifies fit, shade, and occlusion, making minor adjustments as needed to ensure comfort and proper bite alignment. The bridge is then cemented in place and checked again for chewing function and esthetics. Follow-up visits and diligent home care are important to monitor the health of the abutment teeth and surrounding tissues and to help the restoration last as long as possible.

Daily oral hygiene is essential for bridge longevity and includes careful brushing and flossing around the restoration to remove plaque and food particles. Use floss threaders, interdental brushes, or water flossers to clean beneath pontics and between abutment teeth where conventional flossing may be difficult. Maintaining healthy gums around the bridge reduces the risk of decay on abutment teeth and helps prevent periodontal issues that can compromise the restoration.

Regular professional cleanings and exams allow your dental team to monitor the bridge and the supporting teeth, address any early signs of wear or decay, and perform adjustments if needed. Avoiding extremely hard or sticky habits that place excessive force on the restoration can also reduce the chance of damage. Consistent care and prompt attention to any changes in fit or comfort will help the bridge perform well for many years.

Common signs that a bridge may require attention include persistent sensitivity, discomfort when chewing, looseness of the restoration, or noticeable changes in the way your bite feels. Recurrent decay at the margins of abutment teeth or inflamed, bleeding gums around the bridge are also red flags that the supporting structures may be compromised. Visible fractures, chips, or discoloration of the bridge material can signal the need for repair or replacement to restore function and appearance.

If you notice any of these symptoms, scheduling an evaluation promptly helps prevent further damage and preserves options for treatment. Your dentist will examine the bridge, take appropriate images, and discuss whether repair, refitting, or a new restoration is the best course of action based on the condition of the abutment teeth and surrounding tissues. Early intervention often leads to simpler solutions and better long-term outcomes.

A good candidate for a dental bridge is someone with one or more missing teeth whose adjacent teeth and supporting gums are healthy enough to serve as stable abutments, or who has sufficient bone for implant placement when considering implant-supported options. Ideal candidates have the commitment to maintain excellent oral hygiene and attend regular dental checkups to preserve the health of the restoration and surrounding tissues. The overall health of the mouth, bite dynamics, and personal esthetic goals are all part of the candidacy assessment.

Patients with uncontrolled periodontal disease, significant decay on potential abutment teeth, or habits that generate excessive occlusal forces may require preliminary treatment or alternative solutions. For implant-supported bridges, general health, smoking status, and bone quality are factors that influence treatment planning. A thorough clinical evaluation and discussion of expectations help determine whether a bridge is the most predictable and appropriate choice for an individual patient.

Dental bridges offer a predictable, non-removable solution that restores chewing function and esthetics without the daily maintenance of removable prostheses. Traditional bridges can be completed relatively efficiently and deliver excellent cosmetic results, while implant-supported bridges provide enhanced stability and bone preservation by replacing the tooth root as well as the crown. Advances in ceramic and zirconia materials have improved the durability and lifelike appearance of bridges across a wide range of clinical situations.

Limitations include the need to prepare adjacent teeth for traditional bridges, which involves removal of healthy tooth structure in some cases, and the potential for added stress on abutment teeth over time. Implant-supported options avoid altering neighboring teeth but require adequate bone and a surgical phase as well as a healing period for osseointegration. Removable partial dentures remain a less invasive alternative for some patients but do not offer the same stability or feel as fixed restorations.

Choosing between a bridge, an implant, or a removable prosthesis depends on oral health, anatomic considerations, long-term goals, and lifestyle preferences. Your dentist at the office of Smiles Dental at Reston Town Center can review these factors with you, explain the clinical trade-offs, and recommend a treatment plan tailored to your needs and expectations.