A dental bridge, like a bridge that extends over a river, is anchored securely at each end. In the case of a dental bridge, the anchors are teeth or dental implants and the section between the anchors are false teeth (pontics) that are attached to the anchors. A dental bridge needs strong anchors at each end that are straight and firmly fixed to the jaw bone and extend far enough above the gums. Additionally the section between the anchors must not be too long. Some of these requirements that are deficient may have a solution. For example crooked teeth can be straightened, a portion of the tooth currently covered by gum tissue can be exposed, and “weak” teeth can be supplemented by adding more abutment teeth. And when teeth cannot be adequate anchors, dental implants may be an option.
A dental bridge needs to be checked regularly by a dentist because a bridge can wear or break, abutment teeth can get a cavity or gum disease, fracture, or become loose, and special parts of an implant can loosen or break.
