If you’re missing a tooth or two, daily tasks can become challenging. Something as simple as chewing up your food can be difficult to do. Fortunately, there are several different tooth replacement options available that can cater to different needs. Dental bridges are ideal for those who are missing one or a few consecutive missing teeth. While they are fairly resilient, failure can still happen. Here are some of the most common causes.
Poor Oral Hygiene
The most common reason behind dental bridge failure is not keeping up with oral hygiene. When you have a bridge, it’s important that you are very thorough with your dental hygiene regimen. If you aren’t brushing twice and flossing once each day, you are putting your dental bridge at risk!
Insufficient Abutment Teeth
Dental bridges are supported by two surrounding teeth known as the “abutment teeth.” To support the bridge, it’s crucial that these teeth are strong and healthy. If they aren’t reliable, issues can arise. If there is an uneven distribution of the bridge on the surrounding teeth due to one of them not being supportive enough, it can result in trauma and dental bridge failure.
Bad Dental Habits
There are a variety of common habits that can be risky when it comes to your smile; they can even lead to a dental bridge failure. Some of the most popular include nail biting, chewing on pens or pencils, teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), and crunching on ice. If you bite your nails or writing utensils, try squeezing a stress ball instead. For clenching and grinding, ask your dentist about a nightguard. If you enjoy chewing on ice, try to choose a safe, crunchy snack instead.
Weak Jawbone
If your jawbone isn’t sufficient enough, your abutment teeth won’t be either! They will be much less likely to support a dental bridge in the long term. With poor bone support comes a greater chance that your bridge will fail, and you will need to opt for another tooth replacement option.
Skipping Dental Visits
Your regular cleanings and checkups at the dental office are super important! In addition to keeping your smile squeaky clean, your dentist will take a look at your dental bridge to ensure that everything looks as it should. If any issues are going on, like gum disease or tooth decay, they can be fixed before becoming more serious.
Dental bridges may not be indestructible, but they can last upwards of 10 years with the proper care. By taking steps every day to maintain your bridge, you can show off your replacement teeth for many years down the road!
About the Practice
At Healthy Smiles Dental Care, we have a team of four skilled dentists serving the Lansing community. With their combined experience and expertise, patients can get pretty much anything they need under one roof. If you have concerns regarding your dental bridge, we’re more than happy to help. To learn more about dental bridges or to schedule an appointment, visit our website or call (517) 333-3160.