What Is a Dental Bridge?

Losing a tooth leaves more than a visible gap. The teeth on either side start to drift towards the empty space, the tooth opposite it can over-erupt, and chewing quietly shifts to the other side of your mouth. A dental bridge is the classic fixed answer to that problem: a false tooth, held permanently in place by the teeth next to the gap, so the space is filled and the bite is balanced again.

The short video at the top of this page, "Dental Crowns and Bridges", runs just over a minute and introduces the newer techniques behind crowns and bridges together — a useful pairing, because a bridge is really crowns and a false tooth built as one piece. Here's what to expect if your dentist suggests one.

The parts, in plain English

A traditional bridge has three working parts. The pontic is the false tooth that sits in the gap, shaped and coloured to match its neighbours. On each side of it sits a crown — a cap that fits over a natural tooth. Those supporting teeth are called abutments, and once the crowns are cemented onto them, the whole unit is fixed: you don't take it out at night, and it doesn't move when you eat or speak.

There are variations your dentist may mention. A cantilever bridge is supported from one side only. A Maryland bridge uses thin wings bonded to the backs of the neighbouring teeth instead of full crowns, so much less tooth is trimmed away. And a bridge can also be fixed to dental implants rather than natural teeth — our guide to dental implants explains how those titanium roots work, since they're the main alternative way of filling the same gap.

Your first appointment: shaping and measuring

Fitting usually takes two visits. At the first, the dentist numbs the area and gently reshapes the abutment teeth, removing a layer of enamel so the crowns will sit in line with the rest of your teeth rather than bulking them out. Then comes the part patients remember: an impression or a digital scan of your teeth, which the dental laboratory uses to build a bridge that fits your bite precisely.

Before you leave, you'll normally be fitted with a temporary bridge. It protects the shaped teeth and keeps the gap looking filled while the real bridge is being made, which typically takes a couple of weeks.

Your second appointment: the fit itself

At the second visit the temporary comes off and the finished bridge is tried in. Expect the dentist to check the bite carefully — asking you to tap your teeth together on coloured paper, adjusting any spot that meets too early — and to check that the edges sit flush against the gum. When the fit and the colour look right, the bridge is cemented permanently. Mild sensitivity to hot and cold is common for a while afterwards and usually settles on its own.

Because crowns do so much of the work here, it helps to see them up close: the explainer "Dental Crowns Explained" walks through what a crown is and how one is made.

Living with it: eating, cleaning, and how long it lasts

You can eat normally once the numbness wears off, though most dentists suggest softer food for the first day or so. The habit that matters most is cleaning under the pontic, where food and plaque collect against the gum. Ordinary floss can't be pulled through a fixed bridge from above, so you'll be shown floss threaders, small interdental brushes, or a water flosser to pass underneath — a minute a day that protects the abutment teeth from decay, which is the most common reason bridges eventually fail.

With that daily care and regular check-ups, a bridge commonly serves for many years. If an abutment tooth ever needs treatment underneath its crown, our guide to root canal treatment explains how a tooth's inner tissue is treated while the crown above it stays in place.

References & further reading

• MedlinePlus — Dental Crowns: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007631.htm
• American Dental Association (MouthHealthy) — Bridges: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/bridges
• MedlinePlus — Dental Health: https://medlineplus.gov/dentalhealth.html

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a dental bridge removable like a denture?

No. A bridge is cemented (or fixed to implants) and stays in your mouth day and night. Only a dentist can remove it, which is exactly why it feels more like your own teeth than a removable denture does.

Does getting a bridge hurt?

The shaping is done under local anaesthetic, so you shouldn't feel pain during the appointments. Some sensitivity or mild ache afterwards is common and usually fades within days.

Can a bridge replace more than one missing tooth?

Yes — a bridge can carry more than one pontic, provided the supporting teeth (or implants) are strong enough for the extra load. How many teeth can safely be replaced this way is a judgement your dentist makes from your X-rays and examination.

What if one of the supporting teeth fails years later?

The bridge usually has to come off so the tooth underneath can be treated or removed, and a new plan — a longer bridge, an implant, or a denture — is made for the bigger gap. This is why keeping the abutment teeth decay-free matters so much.

MedicalVideos.com has published trusted medical videos since 2007. The site was founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.

Educational only — this article is general information about dental bridges, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. Whether a bridge is right for your gap, and which type, belongs to your own dentist.