Traditional dental bridges – Traditional bridges are supported by two crowns on either side of the gap in a patient’s teeth. These two adjacent teeth would be reshaped to fit crowns on both sides of the gap. The crowns would be placed on both adjacent teeth with the bridge fitted in between the two crowns.

Cantilever Bridges – The cantilever bridge can be thought of in the same manner as a typical industrial bridge. The dentist would attach the bridge to a crown on a single tooth, as opposed to the two adjacent teeth. Dentists would not recommend this type of bridge for molars (back teeth) as the molars bear the force of a patient’s bite. Cantilever bridges are a rare type of bridge but are still used as they tend to preserve more of a patient’s healthy tooth structure.

Maryland Bonded Bridges – This type of bridge was developed by researchers at the University of Maryland (hence the name). This type of bridge involves minimal alterations to the surrounding teeth, as it uses a set of wings that attach to adjacent teeth. Materials used to attach the bridge have generally been made out of metal, however, newer Maryland Bonded Bridges can be made from resin.