Bridges
A bridge is made by reducing the teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth by a pattern determined by the location of the teeth and by the material from which the bridge is made. The teeth are reduced in size in order to accommodate the materials to be used to restore the size and shape of the original teeth to be in correct alignment.
The bridge dimensions are defined by the root surface area of the teeth has to be equal or surpass that of the teeth being replaced with pontics. This is otherwise knowns as Ante's law.
The materials for bridges include gold or porcelain fused with metal or sometimes porcelain. The materials used can slightly affect the amount and type of reduction alone to the abutment teeth. When restoring a damaged area with a fixed partial denture in order to crown the teeth adjacent to the space and bridge the gap with a dummy tooth, the restoration is referred to as a bridge.