DEFINITION:

A bridge, made of crowns, is employed to replace one or many absent teeth, by attaching to the adjacent teeth, one on each side (i.e. abutments). It is an irreversible process, fixed with cement, and cannot be removed. A bridges is recommended when the adjacent teeth have large fillings or root canals.

A bridge can last between five to twenty years, depending on oral hygiene, maintenance and habits.

APPLICATIONS:

Bridges are mainly employed to:

•Cover up an unaesthetic space.

•Improve chewing and talking.

•Avoid natural teeth from taking the full load of chewing, therefore making them weaker with time.

•Avoid the rest of the teeth from creating gum problems by moving or leaning.

SOURCES:     Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).

                            WebMD, better information, better health (www.webmd.com).