Our Services
Dental bridges
A fixed replacement for missing teeth, completed in two to three weeks — faster and less expensive than implants, with a different set of trade-offs.
A bridge spans a gap by crowning the teeth on either side and suspending replacement teeth between them. It is fixed in place, restores chewing function, and can be completed in a fraction of the time an implant takes.
The trade-off is that it requires preparing the adjacent teeth, and it does nothing to preserve the bone beneath the gap. We will always tell you both halves of that.
Four types of bridge
Traditional Bridge
Crowns on the teeth either side of the gap, carrying one or more replacement teeth between them. The most common design, suitable for single or multiple missing teeth.
Cantilever Bridge
Supported from one side only, used where there is a suitable tooth on just one side of the gap.
Maryland Bridge
A conservative, minimal-preparation option bonded to the back of the adjacent teeth rather than crowning them — preserving far more natural tooth structure.
Implant-Supported Bridge
Carried on implants rather than natural teeth. More expensive and slower, but leaves the neighbouring teeth untouched and preserves bone.
Bridge or implant?
Bridges make most sense when the adjacent teeth already need crowns anyway, when treatment time is genuinely constrained, or when implants are not clinically possible.
- ✓ Timeline — 2 to 3 weeks for a bridge, versus 4 to 6 months for an implant
- ✓ Cost — $1,500 to $3,000 for a bridge, versus $3,500 to $6,000 for an implant
- ✓ Longevity — 7 to 10 years for a bridge, versus 25 years and often longer for an implant
- ✓ Adjacent teeth — a bridge requires preparing them; an implant leaves them alone
- ✓ Bone — a bridge allows resorption to continue; an implant loads the bone and helps preserve it
Caring for your bridge
Specialised Flossing
A bridge cannot be flossed conventionally. Floss threaders or interdental brushes clean beneath the span, which is where problems start.
Gentle Brushing
Twice daily with a soft brush, paying particular attention to the margins where crown meets tooth.
Regular Checkups
Every six months, so decay at the abutment teeth is caught while it is still repairable.
Avoid Hard Foods
Ice, hard nuts, and similar can fracture porcelain — the same advice applies to natural teeth, but a bridge is less forgiving.
Night Guard for Grinding
If you grind, a guard protects the bridge from forces it was not designed to absorb overnight.
Gum Health
The bridge depends entirely on the teeth supporting it. Gum disease at those teeth ends the bridge.
Ready to get started?
Book a consultation to compare a bridge against an implant for your case. Call (905) 479-7777.