The greatest benefit of bridges is the replacement of missing teeth. This is important for a number of reasons. The teeth are necessary to chew properly and are used to help form the sounds in words. They also help to establish and maintain the shape of the face. Missing teeth can place increased stress on the jaw that can lead to problems with the muscles and the temporomandibular joint (jaw joint). Finally, teeth preserve the positions of neighboring teeth. If a tooth is missing, the neighboring teeth may move into the open area.

However, bridges have some disadvantages. They require special care. They can break, chip or crack and an artificial tooth (pontic) may come loose. Bridges can also be damaged by patients who attempt to fix or modify them. Because of this, it is important to see a dentist for any repairs or adjustments.

For many types of bridges, especially fixed bridges, nearby teeth must be prepared to serve as abutments. This typically involves the irreversible removal of tooth enamel from otherwise healthy teeth to make room for artificial crowns.