A bridge is employed to fill in the space left by an extracted tooth. The preparation process is the same as the crown, but in this case the two teeth adjacent to the space left by the missing tooth are prepped for what we refer to as retainer crowns. Between the two retainer crowns is a third crown called a pontic, which replaces the missing tooth. These three crowns are formed together at the dental lab into one unit. Again, you will wear a temporary bridge for about 2 weeks (or up to 6 weeks if you have just had an extraction), then return to our clinic to have your new bridge cemented on.
