Traditional Dental Bridges: How a Fixed Bridge Replaces a Missing Tooth

A traditional dental bridge, also called a conventional bridge, is a fixed way of replacing one or more missing teeth in a row. It is made of a false tooth, known as a pontic, joined to two crowns that are cemented onto the natural teeth either side of the gap, known as the abutment or supporting teeth. Because it is cemented rather than removable, a patient cannot take a traditional bridge out for cleaning the way a denture is taken out.

The most common design is a three-unit bridge: two crowns on the supporting teeth plus one pontic filling the gap between them, all built as a single connected piece of ceramic. A traditional bridge is one of several ways to replace a missing tooth alongside a dental implant, a Maryland (resin-bonded) bridge and a removable partial denture, and it remains a widely used option where the supporting teeth already need crowns or an implant is not suitable.

This page explains how a traditional bridge is designed, made and fitted, and who tends to suit it. For the wider picture of every bridge design we offer, see our dental bridges page; our Maryland bridges and cantilever bridges pages cover the other two fixed-bridge designs in detail.

Design: two crowns on the supporting teeth either side of the gap, joined to a pontic that fills the space of the missing tooth, all made as one connected unit.

Material: usually zirconia or porcelain fused to metal for strength; E-max ceramic is used only for short bridges in the front of the mouth.

Tooth preparation: the two supporting teeth are reshaped, known as preparation, to make room for the crowns that anchor the bridge.

Anaesthesia: preparation of the supporting teeth is carried out under local anaesthesia; the procedure itself is not usually uncomfortable once the area is numb.

A traditional bridge is considered whenever one or more teeth in a row are missing and the teeth on both sides of the gap are healthy enough, or already restored enough, to support a crown. It is often the option a dentist suggests when the neighbouring teeth already have large fillings or existing crowns, since preparing them for a bridge adds little extra to work they would benefit from anyway. It is also considered when a patient cannot have or does not want a dental implant, or wants to avoid the healing time an implant needs. Our missing teeth page covers the full range of replacement options in more depth; this page focuses on the traditional bridge design itself.

A traditional bridge tends to suit patients who are missing one or two teeth in a row and have healthy or already-restored neighbouring teeth on both sides of the gap. It also suits patients whose supporting teeth already carry large fillings or old crowns, since reshaping them for a bridge does not remove meaningfully more healthy tooth structure than they have already lost. Good gum health and a bite that does not place excessive load on the supporting teeth are also part of the assessment your dentist makes before recommending this design over a Maryland bridge, a cantilever bridge or a dental implant.

Before you travel. The process starts with a free online consultation. You send recent photos and, if you have them, X-rays, and our dentists give an initial view on whether a traditional bridge suits your gap before you book anything.

At the clinic. A clinical examination and X-rays confirm the health of the two supporting teeth and the bone and gum around them, and whether either tooth needs root canal treatment or a filling build-up before it can take a crown.

Comparing your options. Where a dental implant, a Maryland bridge or a traditional bridge could all work for your gap, your dentist explains the trade-offs between them so you can decide together which suits your teeth, timeline and budget.

Fitting a traditional bridge starts with reshaping the two supporting teeth under local anaesthesia, known as preparation, so that each one has room for a crown. A digital scan or a physical impression is then taken of the prepared teeth, the gap between them and the opposing teeth, and a temporary bridge is fitted to protect the prepared teeth and fill the gap while the definitive bridge is made in a dental laboratory.

In the laboratory, the two crowns and the connecting pontic are built as a single piece so they seat together in one movement. Once the bridge is ready, it is tried in to check the fit, the contact with the gum under the pontic, the shade and the bite before it is cemented onto the two prepared teeth. The parts of the finished bridge, from the visible pontic and crowns down to the supporting teeth, are shown in the illustration below.

With a well-fitted traditional bridge, chewing and speaking return to normal and the gap left by the missing tooth is closed with a pontic shaded to match the surrounding teeth, so the bridge is not obvious in everyday conversation or a smile. Because the two crowns and the pontic are built as one connected piece, the bite across the bridge feels stable rather than loose. Many bridges last for years with good care; how long any individual bridge lasts depends on the health of the supporting teeth, your bite, whether you grind your teeth, and how thoroughly you clean under the pontic.

Real patients

Before and After at Er Dental Clinic

Photos of Er Dental Clinic patients. Every case is different, so ask us to see bridge cases similar to yours.

Before→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→AfterBefore→After

Tooth reduction cannot be undone. Preparing two healthy or lightly restored teeth for crowns removes a layer of natural tooth structure from both of them, and this cannot be reversed once done.

Cleaning under the pontic takes extra effort. Ordinary floss cannot pass under the connected pontic, so a floss threader, superfloss, an interdental brush or a water flosser becomes part of the daily routine.

Both supporting teeth are needed. If one of the two crowned teeth later fails, for example from a deep new cavity or a fracture, the entire bridge is usually affected and may need to be remade, unlike a single implant crown.

Your dentist explains the risks that apply to your specific teeth, based on your X-rays and dental history, before you give your consent.

Traditional bridge treatment at Er Dental Clinic is assessed and planned by Dt. Vijdan Aslanoglu, alongside our other general dentists. Whether a traditional bridge, a Maryland bridge, a cantilever bridge or a dental implant suits your gap is confirmed from your X-rays and a clinical examination of the supporting teeth, and your written treatment plan states which design is proposed and why. The clinic holds an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate issued by the Republic of Turkiye Ministry of Health (certificate no. ST-6264), which you can check on the e-Devlet document verification service at turkiye.gov.tr/saglik-bakanligi-ebys.

Where the teeth either side of the gap are completely healthy, a dental implant avoids reshaping them at all; our dental implant vs bridge page compares the two approaches in detail. Where minimal tooth preparation matters more than the extra strength of crowns on both sides, our Maryland bridges page explains the resin-bonded alternative, and where only one side of the gap has a supporting tooth, our cantilever bridges page covers that design. Implant-supported bridges are also possible for a longer gap; see our dental implants page for how a bridge can be anchored to implants rather than natural teeth. Where a removable option is preferred, a partial denture is a further alternative that your dentist can discuss with you.

A traditional bridge is one of several fixed-bridge designs offered at Er Dental Clinic. The pages below cover the other designs and related decisions in detail.

Most patients go back to normal eating and speaking within a day or two of the temporary bridge being fitted, and there is usually no need to take time off work or daily activities during either visit. Some mild sensitivity around the prepared teeth is common in the first few days and settles on its own or with an ordinary painkiller if needed. Once the definitive bridge is cemented in place, it is treated like natural teeth for eating, and your dentist explains when it is safe to fly home and how to start cleaning under the pontic.

Send us your photos or X-rays for a free online consultation. Our dentists will give an initial view on whether a traditional bridge suits your gap and reply with a written treatment plan and a clear quote, so you can compare your options before you decide to travel. You can also contact us directly with any questions.