Dental Bridge Archives - Parma Ridge Family Dental

Two Teeth Fell Out

Posted on September 28, 2020 by writeradmin.

My mother is 87 years old and recently just had two teeth fall out. I want to help her get this fixed. We’re thinking about getting her a dental bridge but I’m not sure about the health of her teeth. What are some other options if this doesn’t work out?

Beverly

Dear Beverly,

If your mother is just having teeth fall out than she is in very advanced stages of periodontal disease. It is extremely likely she is going to be losing more teeth in the very near future. If she were younger I would say you need to treat this gum disease aggressively then get bone grafting and dental implants.

This is because the longer someone is in dentures, the more their jawbone shrinks, leading to facial collapse. However, that is not going to be an issue for your mother as she is advanced in years.

That being said, a dental bridge will not work for her. These have to anchor to strong, stable teeth, which I am in serious doubt that she is in possession of at the moment.

My suggestion would be to evaluate the health of her teeth and gums. If they are in as bad a shape as I suspect, then I would extract them and get her dentures.

You will still want to treat her gum disease because the health of her gums affects her general health as well. People with gum disease are much more likely to develop heart problems.

This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.

Why Didn’t the Antibiotics Work?

Posted on July 25, 2020 by writeradmin.

I had a massive tooth infection and had a red streak all the way up to my eye. My dentist gave me some pretty strong antibiotics, they worked at first. I really was getting better, but just a couple of days after I stopped taking them, the infection flared up again. What do I do now? Those were supposed to be some of the strongest.

Kayla

Dear Kayla,

It sounds like there was a miscommunication between you and the dentist. If not, you need another dentist because the one you have doesn’t understand how tooth infections work. An antibiotic alone will not heal an infected tooth. This is just one of the reasons it is considered a dental emergency. A dentist has to physically get in there and remove the infected pulp.

Generally, there are two ways to do that: a root canal treatment or, if that is not possible, a tooth extraction. A root canal treatment is ideal because it saves your tooth. It is always better to keep as much natural tooth structure as possible.

The antibiotic is only a temporary solution to get the infection under control. He should have scheduled a follow-up visit with you to have the root canal treatment done. If he didn’t, call the office back and let them know what is happening. They need to get you in there right away. Hopefully, the tooth can be saved.

If the Tooth Cannot be Saved

There is a possibility if the infection was allowed to get too far, that you’ll have to extract the tooth. If that happens, you will want to replace the tooth. Otherwise, the adjacent teeth will begin to shift or tip into the open space, throwing off your bite. This can lead to complications such as TMJ.

To replace your tooth you can either have a dental implant placed, which will require some surgery, or a dental bridge. With a dental bridge, you have to crown the adjacent teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Gecovich.

Are Implants Better than Bridges?

Posted on March 19, 2018 by writeradmin.

My dentist is insisting on me getting a dental implant to replace one tooth. I don’t like the idea of surgery and prefer to have a bridge. Are dental implants really that much better than a dental bridge?

Mark

Dear Mark,

While dental implants are the top of the line treatment for a missing tooth, dental bridges are a very acceptable alternative. In some cases, it may actually make more sense. Here’s one example:

A Dental Bridge

A dental bridge will suspend a false tooth between two dental crowns. If it happens that the adjacent teeth need some work on them anyway, then it actually could make more sense to get a bridge unless money is not an issue for you. There are downsides. If one part of the bridge breaks, the whole unit will need to be replaced. It won’t preserve the jawbone directly beneath the tooth you lost. However, if that’s your only missing tooth it’s not as big a deal as if you’d lost several teeth. Lastly, while they are bonded on, they’re not quite as secure as a dental implant.

A Dental Implant

As you can see from the diagram to the left, a dental implant surgically places a prosthetic root into your jawbone and then, after the bone reforms around the implant, a porcelain crown will be placed on top. There are distinct advantages to this. It’s the most secure replacement and it will preserve your jawbone. If your adjacent teeth are healthy, you won’t have to grind down any healthy tooth structure. It’s always a positive to keep as much of your healthy teeth as possible.

Finding the Right Dentist for You

I’m not a big believer in dentists insisting on a certain procedure. In fact, their job is to give you all your options and their recommendation. The rest should be up to you. However, there are some dentists who feel they know better, therefore the patient should just trust them and move on.

There’s a problem with that. Not everyone is working under the same budget. Plus, there can be other mitigating factors. Surgery requires a much longer healing time and some time off work. What if that’s not possible for you? What if you’re someone with a condition which makes surgery a little riskier than for others? Or, what if you just plain don’t want surgery? As it is your body, it should be up to you.

If your dentist is unwilling to work with you, I’m sure you can find one who is.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.