Dental Bridge Cost
What are Dental Bridges ?
Dental bridges are permanent solution to missing tooth. It actually bridges the spaces of the gap between teeth. The two original teeth on both sides are called abutment while the artificial tooth are termed false teeth or false tooth. The false teeth are usually made up of alloys, gold, porcelain or a mixture of them. Bridges can also be supported by implants.
Having a dental bridge as a replacement for missing tooth has several benefits. First of all, it improves the aesthetics of the person when smiling. It also enables the person to chew properly and evenly distributes the forces during biting of food. It also helps avoid speech difficulties caused by missing teeth. Having a missing tooth may lead to movement of the tooth beside the gap, having a dental bridge can prevent this.
Dental bridges can be classified into three categories; traditional bridge, cantilever bridges, and Maryland bonded bridges. The most popular among these three are the traditional bridges and are usually made of porcelain. In this type of bridge, a false tooth is made and has a crown on both sides. The crowns are to be fitted into teeth adjacent of the gap. Cantilever bridges are an ideal solution if the gap has only one adjacent tooth. Maryland bonded bridges are composed of plastic and a metal support.
The procedure of making a dental bridge involves the following steps. First, the teeth adjacent to the gap are recontoured – the enamel is thinned during this process so that the crown can be fitted over them. The next step is taking the impression of the teeth so that a bridge can be made.
The impression is then sent to a laboratory that will handle the manufacturing of the bridge. Since the enamel of the adjacent teeth is thinned during recontouring process, it is somewhat vulnerable to damage. In order to protect those teeth, the dentist must provide his patient a temporary bridge while waiting for the permanent bridge.
When the permanent bridge is ready, the temporary bridge will be replaced. The permanent bridge will then be installed and the dentist will make the necessary adjustment if there is any. It is usual that the bridge does not fit perfectly during the first installation. Dentists usually schedule another visit so they may determine if the fit is right and if it is comfortable to bite on. Permanent dental bridges are not yet permanently cemented during its initial installation. Temporary cement is used first so that if it does not fit perfectly it can still be adjusted.
What are the costs of a dental bridge?
Dental bridge costs vary, its price ranges from $200 – $2,000. There are several factors that affect the price of dental bridges, but the major reasons of varying dental bridge cost is the material to be used and the number of missing teeth. The degree of the needed preparation on the adjacent teeth also contributes to dental bridge cost. Laboratory fees also vary from lab to lab. Since the price of a dental bridge is quite expensive, the easiest way of minimizing its cost is to get a dental insurance so that they will cover some of the dental bridge cost. Dental implants can also be used to replace missing tooth but implants are more expensive compared to dental bridges cost.