A straightforward explanation to dental bridges is they bridge the gap by replacing at least one missing or extracted tooth to give you back your perfect smile.

It also helps restore your ability to chew and speak properly.

Aesthetically, it maintains the shape of your face, distributes the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth, and prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position.

As part of dental care and for practical reasons, it is needed because missing or extracted teeth raise common concerns of infection within your mouth.

And according to the American Dental Association, there is an average of three decayed or missing teeth in adults between 20 and 64 years old.

While there are other procedures in filling in the gaps of your mouth, there are several factors to choose which is the best for you.

A dental bridge is the best option if the adjacent teeth have large fillings and need crowns or caps in the future.

It is also the best choice if the tooth or teeth have been lost for a long time as the gums and bones have already receded.

There are different kinds of dental bridges, depending on what your dentist thinks you need.

Traditional dental bridges
These are the more widely-used bridges which consist of one or more fake teeth held in place by dental crowns. These dental crowns, also called abutments, are cemented onto the neighboring teeth to your missing tooth.

Cantilever bridges
Cantilever bridges are similar to traditional bridges, but the fake teeth are supported by a dental crown cemented on a natural tooth on just one side of the gap.

Maryland bridges
Unlike the first two, Maryland bridges are held in place by a metal or porcelain framework bonded onto the backs of the two teeth adjacent to the missing tooth.

Implant-supported bridges
Implant-supported bridges can be used when you have more than one tooth missing and are supported by dental implants.