Treatment guide

Dental Bridges

A bridge is a row of joined crowns that carries a replacement tooth across a gap. As with crowns, the material decides how long it lasts — and metal-based is what we recommend.

What is a bridge — and how we think about materials

A bridge replaces a missing tooth without surgery. The teeth on each side of the gap are prepared and crowned, and those crowns carry a false tooth (a “pontic”) between them. The whole thing is made as one piece and cemented in place — you do not take it out.

A bridge lives under the same forces as a crown, but with a critical difference: it is one rigid unit spanning a gap, so every chewing force tries to flex it. That makes material choice even more important than it is for a single crown. A bridge that bends slightly and never breaks is worth far more than one that looks perfect until the day it snaps. This is why we build bridges on metal.

If you are still deciding whether a bridge is right for you at all — versus an implant or a partial denture — read Missing a tooth: what are my options? first. This guide is about which bridge to choose once you have decided on one.

Make the right choice: bridge materials

Ranked by durability. Where the bridge sits — and how long a span it has to carry — decides what it should be made of.

Option	Best for	Pros	Cons	Typical lifespan	Relative cost
Our pickFull metal (gold alloy)	Bridges in the back of the mouth	It cannot crack, chip or shatter — gold is ductile, so the one failure mode that ends ceramic bridges does not exist for it; wears at the same rate as natural enamel; needs the least tooth removed from the anchor teeth; among the most biocompatible materials in medicine	Gold color — for spans nobody sees	20+ years, often lifelong	$$$$
Porcelain fused to metal (PFM)	Visible bridges — our recommendation over full zirconia	A metal framework carries the load and cannot fracture, with a tooth-colored porcelain surface where it shows; 50+ years of documented performance in bridges specifically; if porcelain chips, the bridge itself survives because the metal core is intact	A dark metal line can appear at the gum after many years; the porcelain surface can chip	10–15+ years	$$
Zirconia	When metal-based options are declined	Strong ceramic; good aesthetics; metal-free	No give at all: a rigid ceramic span concentrates stress and can fracture suddenly, often taking an anchor tooth with it; far harder than enamel, so it abrades and can crack opposing teeth and dental work; being one solid block, chips and margins are hard to repair; bonded with resin cements, so it is not the inert, fully biocompatible option gold is	8–12 years	$$$
Resin-bonded (Maryland) bridge	A single front tooth, minimal-touch option	Almost no grinding of the neighbouring teeth; reversible	Debonds relatively often; only suitable for a light bite and a single front tooth; relies entirely on resin bonding	5–10 years	$$

Costs are relative and vary enormously by country. Lifespans are typical ranges — span length, bite force and how well you clean under the pontic move them in both directions.

How the treatment works

Planning
The anchor teeth and your bite are assessed, and the bridge design and material are chosen. Anchor teeth that are already heavily filled or crowned are the best candidates.
Preparing the anchor teeth
Under local anesthetic, the teeth on each side of the gap are shaped to receive crowns. Metal needs the least tooth removed.
Impression or scan
A mold or digital scan goes to the lab, which builds the bridge as a single piece.
Temporary bridge
A temporary protects the prepared teeth and fills the gap while the lab works (1–3 weeks).
Fitting and cementation
Fit, bite and appearance are checked, then the bridge is permanently cemented.

Aftercare

Clean under the false tooth every day — superfloss or a small interdental brush. This is the single thing that decides how long your bridge lasts.
Mild sensitivity in the anchor teeth settles within days.
Avoid very hard or sticky foods for the first 24 hours.
The most common reason a bridge fails is decay on an anchor tooth — not the bridge itself breaking.
Keep your check-ups: a problem caught early on an anchor tooth can often be fixed without replacing the whole bridge.

Frequently asked questions

Why metal, when a zirconia bridge looks better?

Because a bridge is a beam, and beams flex. Metal gives slightly under load and springs back — it cannot fracture. Ceramic has no give: stress builds until it releases all at once, and because the bridge is cemented to your teeth, that fracture often runs into an anchor tooth. Losing a bridge is annoying; losing an anchor tooth with it can mean losing the whole plan. In the back of the mouth, where nobody sees it, this trade is not worth making. Where the bridge is visible, PFM gives you the tooth-colored surface with a metal framework underneath that cannot break.

Why do you recommend PFM over full zirconia for visible bridges?

Failure mode. If PFM porcelain chips, the metal framework is untouched and the bridge stays in service — often it can simply be polished or repaired. If a zirconia bridge cracks, the bridge is finished, and the tooth underneath may be too. PFM also has decades more documented performance in bridges specifically. Zirconia is additionally very hard on the teeth it bites against, and it must be resin-bonded — bringing back the same monomer chemistry we warn about in white fillings.

How many teeth can one bridge replace?

Commonly one, sometimes two. The longer the span, the more it flexes and the more load lands on the anchor teeth — long bridges fail sooner. For bigger gaps, implants or a partial denture are usually the wiser choice.

Does getting a bridge hurt?

No — the anchor teeth are prepared under local anesthetic. Expect some sensitivity afterwards, like after a crown.

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This guide is general information, not personal medical advice. Every mouth is different — always discuss your situation with a dentist before deciding on treatment.