How Long Does It Take to Get a Dental Bridge?

The First Consultation

Before beginning treatment, a dentist will examine your mouth to confirm that your gums and supporting bone are healthy. The first visit will establish whether a dental bridge suits your requirements. Should you decide to go ahead with the procedure, the dentist will prepare the anchor teeth around the gap.

The process of preparing the teeth is achieved through filing down the anchor teeth to make sure that there is adequate room for the crowns. Then the dentist will take impressions of your mouth to make the molds.

Your custom-made bridge will be fabricated in a dental laboratory using the impressions taken during your appointment. As the procedure may take some time, a temporary bridge will be secured with temporary dental cement. The purpose of the temporary bridge is to protect the teeth and preserve your ability to chew food.

The Placement Visit

After about two weeks, the custom-made dental bridge is ready from the lab, and this indicates that it is time for the second appointment. The dentist will remove the temporary bridge made of acrylic and clean the anchoring teeth.

During this visit, the dentist checks how well the custom bridge fits before permanently cementing it in place. The dentist will place the bridge into the gap and assess how it fits with your bite when you close your teeth together.

The dentist then makes small changes and polishes the material to make sure the bite feels completely normal. When the bridge fits perfectly into your mouth, it is permanently attached using dental cement.

Factors Affecting the Timeline

Though patients normally complete the procedure within two visits, certain factors may extend the treatment timeline. This information is important in setting realistic expectations about the entire procedure.

In some cases, if the anchor teeth have decay or structural damage, root canal treatment may be necessary before placing the bridge. Healing from a recent tooth extraction also changes the timeline significantly.

Gums change shape as they heal after a removal, meaning a patient must wait several weeks or months for the tissue to stabilize before a dentist can take accurate final impressions. Furthermore, choosing an implant-supported bridge expands the timeline from a few weeks to several months.

The process involves inserting titanium implant posts into the jawbone and allowing time for the bone to fuse with the metal.