Dental bridge cost by number of units: 3-unit, 4-unit, and beyond.
Bridges are priced per unit, and a unit is one tooth-width of material. Each anchor crown and each replacement tooth counts as one unit. This page breaks the cost down by how many units (and how many missing teeth) your bridge spans.
Quick answer
At the typical $500 to $1,200 per unit for traditional materials, a 3-unit bridge runs $1,500 to $3,600 (one missing tooth), a 4-unit bridge runs $2,000 to $4,800 (two missing teeth), and each extra unit adds one more per-unit charge. Implant-supported bridges sit far higher because each implant alone is $3,000 to $5,500.
Cost by number of units
Traditional pricing is close to linear: multiply the unit count by the per-unit rate for your material and region. The implant-supported route does not scale linearly because the cost is dominated by the implants, not the bridge framework.
| Units | Typical situation | Traditional total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-unit | 1 missing (low-force / cantilever) | $1,200 - $3,900 | Maryland or cantilever. Used only where bite forces are low or there is no second anchor tooth. |
| 3-unit | 1 missing tooth | $1,500 - $3,600 | The standard bridge: 2 abutment crowns + 1 pontic. Most common configuration. |
| 4-unit | 2 missing teeth | $2,000 - $4,800 | 2 abutments + 2 pontics. Front-teeth spans run toward the top of the band on zirconia or all-ceramic. |
| 5-unit | 2-3 missing teeth | $2,500 - $6,000 | Longer span needs stronger material and sometimes an extra abutment for support. |
| 6-unit | 3-4 missing teeth | $3,000 - $7,200 | At this span an implant-supported bridge is often the structurally safer choice. |
Traditional totals assume $500-$1,200 per unit across PFM, all-ceramic, and zirconia. Implant-supported bridges are priced separately: a 3-unit implant-supported bridge runs $9,000-$16,500.
How units are counted
Abutment
The crowned anchor tooth on each side of the gap. One unit each. A standard bridge has two.
Pontic
The replacement tooth that fills the gap. One unit per missing tooth being replaced.
The math
Units = abutments + pontics. One missing tooth = 2 abutments + 1 pontic = 3 units.
This is why a single missing tooth is quoted as a 3-unit bridge, not a 1-unit bridge: you are paying to crown the two healthy neighbours as well as to fabricate the replacement tooth between them. If you are quoted a per-unit price, multiply by the unit count to sanity-check the total before you agree to treatment.
4-unit bridge for front teeth
A 4-unit bridge across the front (two missing incisors anchored by the canines or laterals) is one of the most common multi-tooth cases. Because front teeth are visible, these spans are almost always built in all-ceramic or translucent zirconia rather than PFM, which pushes the price toward the top of the band: expect $2,800 to $4,800 for a 4-unit front bridge before insurance.
Two things raise the cost on front spans specifically. First, shade matching across four connected units is demanding, and many patients choose a prosthodontist, who typically charges 20% to 40% more than a general dentist. Second, long all-ceramic front spans carry a higher fracture risk, so the lab often steps up to zirconia or layered PFM, both of which cost more than basic PFM. For spans of four or more units, an implant-supported bridge is frequently the structurally safer option even though it costs more upfront.
3-unit bridge with insurance: worked example
A typical PPO treats a bridge as major restorative work and pays 50% after the deductible, capped by an annual maximum of $1,500 to $2,500. Here is how a $3,000 3-unit bridge processes when you have met the waiting period and have no prior claims this year.
Because one bridge can use most of a single year's benefits, ask your dentist about splitting preparation into one benefit year and placement into the next to claim the 50% twice. Full detail is on the insurance coverage guide.