Dental Bridge is Falling Down: How to Proceed when a Dental Bridge Anchor-Tooth Fails
by Lonnie Bryant
When you lose a tooth, it is vital that you replace it as soon as possible, whether with emergency denture repair or dental implants. One missing tooth can seriously compromise the balance and beauty of your smile. Fortunately, there are various ways to replace a missing tooth. A dental bridge, also referred to as a fixed-partial denture, is a reliable way of filling a single gap to prevent teeth from shifting, and to provide a socially acceptable smile.
However, because dental bridges require that the teeth on either side serve as anchors to hold the false tooth in place, it is necessary to place crowns over those teeth. Although dental bridges can last years, even a lifetime is well-cared for, tooth decay can sometimes occur underneath a crown. When this happens, a tooth may become so damaged that extraction is the only option.
If the tooth-anchor of a bridge fails, the bridge is no longer a viable option.
One Anchor-Tooth Cannot Support Two Pontics
Should one of your anchor-teeth need to be extracted, a three-unit bridge will no longer be a viable option. Most, if not all dentists, will recommend that you keep the remaining anchor-tooth, but separate it from the rest of the bridge. Provided the remaining crowned tooth is in good condition, it should not need to be altered in any way.
However, the alternative, which would be to place a false tooth on both the adjacent sections of the bridge, is not a reliable course of action. The pressure exerted on the remaining anchor-tooth by the two false teeth whilst chewing, will eventually loosen and dislodge the tooth from its socket. The same is true if only one false tooth remains attached to a single anchor-tooth.
Dental Implants Can Replace the Two Teeth
Naturally, when an anchor tooth fails, you are left with two missing teeth instead of one. If you do not replace those missing teeth, super-eruption of the opposite teeth will occur. Because teeth naturally seek out the surface of their opposites; if there is no opposing surface present, then those teeth will begin to cut into the gum tissue as a result.
Therefore, replacing those two missing teeth with dental implants will help to both prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting and allow you to smile with more confidence.
While it is never nice to lose a bridge in this way, dental implants are superior to dental bridges in terms of stability and longevity.
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About Me
There are more than two ways to straighten a smile, and in this blog, I plan to discuss them all. I plan to look at the differences between braces and retainers and explain why sometimes you may need them both. I look at the differences in cost, time commitment and efficacy. Personally, I have had a bit of experience with this subject – I had braces as a young teen, and I had a permanent retainer. In this blog, I discuss what I have learned, and I present all kinds of new information on the topic. Whether you are trying to make decisions for yourself or your child. I hope you find this information useful.