Properly Dealing with Broken Dental Bridges and Crowns
Dental medicine over the past few years has been getting a lot of attention from the general people. People around me always glossed over the idea of oral hygiene. Oral hygiene is essential; it keeps our mouth clean and free from all sorts of diseases that could affect us. We must brush our teeth regularly to prevent any dental condition or bad breath at least twice a day. Now let’s say you chip your teeth in an accident and have a gap in your smile; what would you do? You could get an implant, or you could get a Dental Bridge or a Crown. Let’s get into what a dental bridge and crown are?
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge is a fixed dental prosthetic that is used to replace one or more missing teeth; it is done by joining an artificial tooth to the adjacent teeth or the dental implants next to it. The bridge is made up of two or more crowns for the teeth on the other side of the gap. These anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth and have false teeth in the middle. The false tooth/teeth are called pontics. The pontics could be made of alloy, gold, porcelain, or a mix of these materials. Three types of dental bridges are available: Traditional Bridges, Cantilever Bridges and Maryland Bonded Bridges. Traditional bridges are made by creating an implant or a crown on either side of the missing tooth, with a pontic in between them. Traditional bridges are the most commonly used bridges all over the world. They are made up of porcelain fused with other metals or ceramics. Cantilever bridges are used when there are adjacent teeth only on one side of the missing teeth or tooth. This is not very commonly used and is not recommended for the back of the mouth because it could put too much force on other teeth and may prove to be harmful in the long run. Maryland bonded bridges are also called resin-bonded bridges or a Maryland bridge. These bridges are made of porcelain that is fused with metal or plastic teeth and gums supported by a metal or porcelain framework. Metal or porcelain wings are used on just one side of the bridge, which is bonded to your existing teeth. The process usually takes two visits to your dentist. In the first visit, the abutment teeth are made, and a portion of the enamel is removed to make room for the crown that is to be placed over them. After the room for a crown has been made, the information about the fit is taken by the dentist, which is then taken to a lab to make bridges and crowns as per the fit that is needed. Your dentist will make a temporary bridge to wear to protect your exposed teeth and gums while the bridge is prepared. On the second visit, your temporary bridge will be removed by your dentist. And new porcelain or metal bridge will be adjusted on top of it to achieve a proper fit. A few other visits may be required for specific individuals to check whether they fit the metal framework is perfect. If the dental bridge is a fixed bridge, the dentist may temporarily cement it for a few weeks to ensure that the fit is correct. After a few weeks, the bridge is cemented into place. A dental bridge usually lasts for about fifteen years if the necessary measures are taken and a good oral hygiene is maintained throughout. A fixed bridge’s life span can deteriorate in 10 years. Getting a dental bridge would restore your ability to consume food correctly, maintain a good shape for your face, properly distribute the food you chew amongst all the teeth would not happen if you had missing teeth, prevent remaining teeth from getting out of place and above all, it would give you a great smile. After the dental bridges are placed, one has to make sure that they brush twice a day, use mouth wash and floss to keep them from getting any tooth decay and other gum diseases. A regular cleaning schedule has to be made, which will help diagnose problems at a much earlier stage. Selecting a balanced diet that gives you enough nutrients and protein is also very important. I mentioned the word crown a few times while I was talking about the dental bridges, so let’s get into what it means.
CROWN
A crown or as it is sometimes referred to as a dental cap, is a tooth-shaped cover that fits on top of a chipped or a broken tooth. It provides strength to the whole mouth and also gives it a great look in appearance to an otherwise weak mouth. Once a crown is fully cemented in its place, it fully covers the visible portion of the tooth that is above the gum lines. If you have a broken or a chipped tooth, you would love to get a crown. A dental crown is a cost-effective method to reduce the problems that are caused by a broken tooth. You may need a dental crown if you are planning to have a root canal treatment or if you have already had one. It may take about two or three visits to your dentist for this treatment to complete. The amount of time you may have to visit the dentist depends on the condition of your teeth. If the tooth is severely damaged, a root canal treatment may be needed before the dental crown is to be attached. If the gum that surrounding the teeth are infected too, you may also need a course of antibiotic medicine. Treatment of both dental and overall health is necessary before the dental crown treatment. A report in the American Dental Association showed that people with infected gums have a higher chance of developing cardiovascular diseases. This article proved that any problems in the oral hygiene have to be treated as soon as possible. The patient has to avoid chewy and sticky foods at the time of the procedure. Once the dentist verifies the dental crown is a good fit for your teeth, they will replace the temporary crown with a cement crown. Getting a crown would save you from spending money on expensive treatments, such as implants and bridgework. And keeping a chipped tooth as it is extremely unhealthy for you.
Both Bridgework and Crowns are treatments that are done by a lot of the public, so how do we properly deal with broken dental bridges and crowns?
How to deal with broken bridges and crowns?
A broken dental bridge or damaged dental crown may turn into a very serious health issue and has to be looked into as soon as possible. Let’s explain how you could deal with these issues and what could cause them? Although Dental Bridges and Dental Crowns are very durable and last decades at times, they aren’t indestructible. If they aren’t properly looked after by the patient, they may need repairs or replacement down the line. In some cases, the damage may not be too bad, which means a premature repair can be done by the dentist, and you will be good to go. These problems need to be addressed quickly to prevent the damaged bridge and crown from turning into something much severe down the line. There are lots of ways a dental bridge or crown could be damaged, broken, or loosen up in the mouth and require replacement or repair. When these things occur, dental bridge and dental crown removal may be necessary. There is a good chance that you may break your dental bridge and dental crown if you had an accident or there is a sudden impact on the mouth. With a lot of force, the crown and bridge could get cracked, dislodged, become loose, or even break. If there is constant force and pressure applied to it, it may even loosen up. If there was no accident, there is a chance it could be happening because of the decay in the adjacent teeth. As dental bridges and dental crowns depend a lot on the natural base of the teeth a patient has, tooth decay may hurt the dental crown and dental bridge more than one may think. If the patient does not have good dental habits, tooth decay at a rapid pace will hurt the patient’s bridges and crowns more than ever. Whether you should consider a broken dental bridge or a crown as a dental emergency is your decision. Even if the situation may not be life-threatening, you should get it checked as soon as possible. If you discover that you have broken or loosened your dental crown or dental bridge, you should stop applying any more pressure on the area. Take a moment and look closely in the mirror to see how bad the damage is. Check to see if there are any cracks, chips, or missing pieces in your mouth. Gently touch the area to get a feel for the damage, but not too much as it would make matters worse for you over time. If there are any broken pieces of the crown and the bridge, you should bring them to the dentist for them to examine them and determine the best solution for your situation. While the accidents may happen at any time, you can take some preventive measures to keep your dental bridge and dental crown as strong as possible. Follow a good oral hygiene routine at home, regularly brush your teeth, and floss your teeth, and do oral rinses from time to time to keep your gums healthy and safe. And the most important part is to always keep up with your visits to the dentists. You need to be open to your dentists as much as you can be so that you can be given the best treatment for your problems. They will give you proper guidance and other advice you on how to keep a strong and healthy mouth. I hope you understand the health complications that a broken or chipped tooth may cause you in the future. There was a time when I used to avoid going to the dentist; I was always scared of the different medical instruments they kept there. But after a few visits to my local dentist, I found out that going to the dentist keeps your teeth healthy, and they always know what is best for your oral hygiene. Nowadays, you see people regularly schedule appointments with their dentists to keep up to date with the newest ways to keep their mouth healthy. The celebrities all over the world do many surgeries and replacements on their teeth and gums. It helps them to look good for the camera. What I am trying to say is always make sure to keep visiting the dentists for scheduled appointments to keep you and your family safe from any health complications.
