A bridge is a dental restoration used to replace a missing tooth by joining permanently to abutment teeth or dental implants. There are different types of bridges, depending on how they are fabricated and the way in which they anchor to the abutment teeth or implants.

A bridge is fabricated by reducing (shave down) the teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth by a preparation pattern determined by the location of the teeth and by the material from which the bridge is fabricated. In other words, the abutment teeth (teeth where the bridge will rest upon) are reduced in size to accommodate the material to be used to restore the size and shape of the original teeth in a correct alignment and contact with the opposing teeth.

The materials used for the bridges include gold, porcelain fused to metal, or in the correct situation porcelain alone. The amount and type of reduction done to the abutment teeth (teeth that will be filling up the spaces) varies slightly with the different materials used. The recipient of such a bridge must be careful to clean well under this prosthesis with specialized interdental brushes and floss.

When restoring an edentulous space (a gap) with a bridge that will crown the teeth abutment (next-to) to the space and bridge the gap with a pontic, or "dummy tooth", the restoration is referred to as a bridge.

Also if no teeth are present , implants may be placed into the jaw bone to the support the bridge/ hold the bridge in place ( multiple implants are usually requested if you don’t  have available teeth for bridge construction . Implants are  however dependent on the availabilty of bone .

The materials used for the bridges include zirconia , gold, porcelain fused to metal, orcorrect situation porcelain alone.The amount and type of reduction done to the abutments (teeth that will be holding the bridge) varies slightly with the different materials used. The recipient of such a bridge must take proper care and keep this type of prosthesis clean. There are specialized aids such as interdental brushes and super floss to facilitate the removal of food debris.