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Restorative dentistry · Made to measure
A dental bridge at Sardinia House in Holborn replaces one or more missing teeth with a fixed ceramic restoration anchored to the teeth on either side, or to implants. It suits people who want a gap closed without anything removable. Usually two visits over two to three weeks, designed from a digital scan and made by a master ceramist. Guide fee from £1,250 per unit.
Guide fee
From £1,250 per unit
Visits
Usually two
Time
Around 2–3 weeks, start to finish
With
All our dentists
Who it is for
When the teeth either side of a gap already have large fillings or crowns, a bridge makes use of them. Crowning both and spanning the gap restores the row in one piece, and the anchor teeth are strengthened in the process.
An implant is often the first choice for a missing tooth, but not everyone wants surgery, or is suited to it. A bridge needs no surgery and no healing time in the bone, and the result arrives within weeks.
For a single front tooth with healthy neighbours, a resin-bonded bridge attaches a wing to the back of one adjacent tooth with little or no drilling. It is a conservative option, chosen carefully for the right bite.
Where three or more teeth are missing in a row, a bridge carried on two implants replaces them without resting on any natural tooth. It is planned in 3D with our guided implant team.
The difference
The prepared teeth and the gap are recorded with a Primescan or iTero™ scanner rather than putty. The bridge is designed digitally against that model, so the fit of each unit and the shape of the new tooth are set before anything is made.
The bridge is made by a laboratory and master ceramist off site, in the UK or abroad, from your digital scan. While it is being made, a provisional bridge printed or milled here the same day covers the gap, so that, wherever we can, you do not leave without a tooth.
A bridge carries the load of the missing tooth as well as its own. We check the bite digitally and in the mouth, so the anchor teeth are not overloaded and the bridge wears evenly.
The underside of a bridge is shaped so that floss or an interdental brush can pass beneath it. A bridge you can keep clean is a bridge that lasts, and we show you how before you leave.
The process
We examine the gap, the neighbouring teeth and the gums, take X-rays or a CBCT scan where needed, and discuss whether a bridge, an implant or a denture is the better answer for you. A written plan with fees follows.
At the first treatment visit the anchor teeth are shaped under local anaesthetic and the area is scanned. A provisional bridge, made on site, is fitted so the gap is covered while the final one is made.
Your dentist designs the bridge on screen with the ceramist, who then mills, layers and glazes it in the laboratory. For front teeth a try-in may be arranged so the shape can be approved before it is finished.
The provisional bridge is removed, the final bridge is tried in, the contacts and bite are refined, and it is bonded or cemented permanently. We show you how to clean beneath it.
Afterwards
Clean beneath the bridge every day with a floss threader, superfloss or a small interdental brush, as the gum under the false tooth is where plaque gathers. Brush the anchor teeth as carefully as any other. Mild sensitivity after fitting usually settles within a week or two. Keep your check-ups and hygiene visits so the margins can be checked.
Guide fees
Guide fees. Nothing is started until your plan, with every fee written down, is in your hands. See all fees
Good to know
Our guide fee at Sardinia House in Holborn is from £1,250 per unit, and from £1,450 per unit for a highly aesthetic bridge. A bridge replacing one tooth is usually three units: the false tooth and the crown on each side. Your written plan states the exact fee.
It depends on the teeth either side, the bone beneath the gap and your preferences. An implant leaves the neighbouring teeth untouched; a bridge avoids surgery and is quicker. We go through both with you, with the scan and X-rays on screen, before anything is decided.
With good cleaning and regular check-ups a well-made bridge can be expected to last many years. The most common reason for failure is decay at the edge of an anchor crown, which is why cleaning beneath the bridge matters so much.
The supporting teeth are shaped once the area is numb; you may notice pressure, but it should not hurt. They may be sensitive for a few days afterwards, and the provisional bridge can feel bulky until the final one is fitted.
Not usually. A bridge spans more than one tooth, and we prefer to give the laboratory time to layer and finish it properly. Single crowns are a different matter, and can often be made here in one visit.
Ordinary floss cannot pass between joined teeth, so we show you how to use a floss threader, superfloss or an interdental brush beneath the false tooth. A water flosser can help too. Our hygienists check the area at each visit.
Yes. For a single front tooth with healthy neighbours we often suggest a resin-bonded bridge, which needs little preparation. For the most visible teeth the highly aesthetic option uses layered ceramic matched carefully to the teeth beside it.
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Dental Group