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Bridges Vs. Dentures

Bridges and dentures are both solutions designed to replace one or more missing teeth, according to the American Dental Association, or ADA. However, there are differences between the two.

  1. Main Difference

    • The main difference between these two dental devices is that, once inserted into place, a bridge is permanent and cannot be removed by the patient. Dentures, however, are dental appliances that the patient is able to remove and place back in his mouth.

    Dentures

    • Dentures are laboratory-made, based on a patient's mouth impression. According to the ADA, there are four types of dentures. They include: complete, which replace all of a patient's teeth, along with the connecting tissue; and partials, made up of one or more fake teeth, held in place by clasps placed on nearby teeth. Dentures are also classified as immediate, which are placed in the patient's mouth immediately after the teeth are removed, and conventional, which are placed in the mouth following a healing period.

    Bridges

    • Bridges are often called a "fixed bridge" or "fixed partial denture." A traditional bridge is a combination of a false tooth, or teeth, flanked on each side by crowns. The crowns are cemented over the healthy teeth on each side of the missing space, and the false tooth, or teeth, bridge the gap in between. In a bonded bridge, the false teeth are attached with metal bands and resin cement. Or, according to the ADA, an implant bridge attaches the false teeth "directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue."

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