Dental Bridges · San Ramon
A fixed way to close a gap
One or more missing teeth replaced with something that stays put — and an honest conversation about whether an implant would serve you better.
Who this is for
- One or more missing teeth in a row
- You have been told you need an extraction and want to know the options
- A partial denture you have never got on with
- Neighboring teeth that already have large fillings or crowns
What a bridge actually is
A bridge is a run of joined crowns. The teeth either side of the gap are shaped down and crowned, and a replacement tooth is fused between them. The whole thing is cemented in place — you do not take it out.
It restores chewing on that side, it stops the opposing tooth over-erupting into the space, and it prevents the neighboring teeth tipping into the gap. Teeth do drift when a space is left; it is slow, and it changes your bite in ways that are harder to fix later.
Bridge or implant — the honest comparison
The real cost of a bridge is the two healthy teeth either side. To carry the bridge they have to be cut down, and that is not reversible. If those teeth are pristine, an implant is usually the better long-term answer because it leaves them alone entirely.
But if the neighboring teeth already have large fillings or old crowns, a bridge is genuinely efficient — it restores all three teeth in one piece of work, and you are not sacrificing anything that was in good condition.
A bridge is also faster. Two appointments over a couple of weeks, rather than the three to six months an implant needs to integrate. And it costs less up front.
We will tell you which we would choose in your situation, including when that answer is the one we do not perform ourselves.
Keeping one clean
This is the part that decides how long it lasts. You cannot floss between the joined units, so you have to clean underneath the false tooth — with a floss threader, superfloss, or a small interdental brush.
Skip that and plaque collects where the bridge meets the gum, the supporting teeth decay at the margin, and the whole bridge has to come off to deal with it. We will show you exactly how on your own bridge before you leave.
What to expect
Here’s how the visit actually goes.
No surprises. That’s the whole idea.
01
Planning
X-rays and a look at the supporting teeth. If either one is questionable, we would rather find that out now than build on it.
02
First appointment
The supporting teeth are numbed and shaped, we take a digital scan, and you leave with a temporary bridge.
03
Second appointment
Try in, check the bite carefully, adjust, and cement. The bite check is the part that matters most and the part most often rushed.
04
Afterwards
We show you how to clean under it, and we check it at every routine visit.
Questions
Answered before you ask.
How long does a bridge last?
Ten to fifteen years is typical, longer with meticulous cleaning underneath. What usually ends one is decay at the margin of a supporting tooth, which is why the cleaning matters so much.
Will it look natural?
Yes, with attention to the gum contour under the false tooth. That is the detail that gives a poor bridge away — a visible dark space beneath it. We design for that deliberately.
Can I have a bridge if I only have a tooth on one side of the gap?
Sometimes, but a cantilever bridge puts considerable leverage on a single support and we are cautious with them. In that situation an implant is usually the sounder choice.
Is it uncomfortable to eat with?
No — that is the main advantage over a partial denture. A bridge is fixed, so it behaves like your own teeth. Most patients forget it is there.
In their words
Thirty years of families who stayed.
Every quote below is a patient's own, unedited, from our reviews.
“We LOVE LOVE LOVE Avalon Dental! Dr. B is the best dentist we’ve ever gone to”
Cassondra H. “Dr B. always does a great job and you don’t feel the work getting done”
Marie T. “The staff always make my experiences with them the best and most comfortable”
Rebecca C.