Dental bridges.

A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth with a custom prosthetic that’s permanently cemented to the natural teeth on either side of the gap. The replacement tooth (called a pontic) is supported by crowns on the neighboring teeth. Once it’s in, you brush and floss around it the same way you would natural teeth — and it stays put.

When a bridge makes sense

Bridges work well when you’ve lost a single tooth and the teeth on either side are healthy enough to act as anchors. They also work for two adjacent missing teeth in many cases. The replacement is reliable, looks natural, and lasts a long time — often a decade or more, sometimes much longer.

Bridge or implant?

For many patients we’ll discuss both options. An implant-supported crown is the closer match to a natural tooth in the long term — it’s anchored directly into the jawbone, and it doesn’t require modifying the neighboring teeth. A bridge is typically faster (a few weeks rather than several months), often more affordable up front, and a good fit when the adjacent teeth would benefit from crowns anyway.

Dr. Agrawal will walk you through both options honestly, including cost, timeline, and what each will look and feel like. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, and the right choice depends on your specific tooth, your bite, your bone health, and your priorities.

What the process looks like

The first visit prepares the supporting teeth — we shape them to receive crowns and take a digital impression of the bite. You leave with a temporary bridge that lets you eat and smile normally. Two to three weeks later, the lab returns the custom permanent bridge. We check the fit, color, and bite carefully, make any small adjustments, and cement it in place. Once it’s seated, it functions like your own teeth — and most patients forget it’s there.