Dental bridge in Turkey

A dental bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring a false tooth to the teeth on either side of the gap. Those neighbouring teeth are the abutments, and to carry the bridge they are filed down and crowned.

That is the part worth understanding before anything else. A bridge is quick, it is fixed in the mouth and it costs less than an implant up front. The price of it is two healthy teeth, permanently reduced, and a restoration whose fate is tied to them. Whether that trade is right for you depends almost entirely on the condition of the teeth either side of the gap.

This is the real decision, and the honest answer depends on the neighbouring teeth. If they already carry large fillings or crowns, a bridge uses teeth that have been prepared anyway and is a reasonable choice. If they are intact and healthy, a bridge means cutting down two sound teeth to replace one missing one, and most dentists would rather place an implant.

The other differences matter over years rather than weeks. An implant transmits load into the jawbone and helps preserve it; the bone under a bridge continues to shrink where the tooth was. A bridge is finished in days rather than months. And a bridge fails as a unit, so if one abutment tooth decays or fractures, the whole restoration usually has to be replaced.

The dental implant page sets out what an implant involves, how long the healing takes and who is not a candidate for one. If you are weighing the two, read both before you accept a treatment plan.

1. 1

   Examination and X-rays

   The dentist checks the teeth either side, the bone, the bite and the gums. An abutment tooth with an existing infection may need root canal treatment before anything else.
2. 2

   Preparing the abutment teeth

   Under local anaesthetic, the supporting teeth are reduced to make room for the crowns. This is irreversible, and how much is removed should be discussed rather than assumed.
3. 3

   Impressions or a scan

   Taken so the laboratory can make the bridge. Shade is chosen at this stage, and in daylight rather than under a surgery light.
4. 4

   A temporary bridge

   Fitted while the permanent one is made. It protects the prepared teeth and lets you eat and speak.
5. 5

   Try-in and fitting

   The bridge is tried in, the fit and bite checked, adjusted, then cemented. The bite check is not a formality; a high bridge causes pain and can fracture.
6. 6

   Aftercare instructions

   How to clean under the false tooth, which is the single thing that decides how long the bridge lasts.

• The number of units. A bridge is priced per unit, and a three unit bridge means two crowns plus the false tooth. Ask for the unit count in writing.
• The material. Metal-ceramic, full zirconia and layered ceramics are priced differently and behave differently in the mouth.
• Whether abutments need root canal treatment. This is a common addition that changes the total, and it should be quoted as a possibility beforehand rather than presented as a surprise.
• Whether an implant-supported design is used. Which shifts the cost towards implant pricing and lengthens the timetable.
• What the package covers. Nights, transfers, the temporary bridge, any adjustment visits and the warranty terms, plus what is excluded.

The clinic list on this page shows the current price at each hospital with a label saying what it covers. For staged payment, see the payment plans page. For the alternative that leaves your own teeth alone, see dental implants, and for routine care before treatment, teeth cleaning.

• Send X-rays and ask for a written plan. With the tooth numbers on it. Compare plans between clinics on the same teeth, not on the headline price.
• Ask why a bridge rather than an implant. And expect an answer about your specific neighbouring teeth.
• Ask what the warranty actually covers. How long, what it excludes, and whether it requires you to travel back.
• Ask who does the laboratory work. In house or outsourced, and how much time is allowed for it.
• Ask about follow-up. Who you contact if the bite feels wrong once you are home.