Dental bridges are implants are both functional and aesthetic solutions for replacing missing teeth. But if your bridge or implant is damaged, broken, loose or doesn’t fit properly anymore, you might need a replacement.
DENTAL BRIDGE REPLACEMENT
First let’s talk about bridges. Dental bridges are fill missing teeth gaps by placing two or more crowns on either side of the gap, forming a bridge. One of the main things that can cause a dental bridge to fail and need replacement is decay in the abutment teeth, or the teeth on either side of prosthetic tooth. If you fail to maintain oral care habits like brushing and flossing, plaque and tartar can appear, which eventually lead to bacteria and then decay. One of the things that makes it harder to detect decay in abutment teeth is the fact that they are covered with a crown so we may not be able to immediately see small cracks. Because of this, we strongly encourage all of our patients to tell us about any sensitivity they might feel immediately. Then Dr. Taylor can inspect your crown and abutment teeth. If there is decay, we will break the crown, remove it, remove any residual cement, treat the abutment teeth and then replace the crown
Sometimes your bridge just needs to be repaired. If the porcelain coating on the bridge is chipped or fractured, we can repair that coating without having to completely replace the bridge. A good dentist will not only do the initial service of placing the bridge, they will continue to maintain their work with repairs and replacements when necessary.
Bridges and implants have long lifespans, but they do not last forever. Typically, bridges last an average of 5 to 15 years. The good news is that you as the patient have a lot of control over the longevity of your implant. The better you take care of it, the longer it will last.
DENTAL IMPLANT REPLACEMENT
Dental implants are quickly becoming the gold standard when it comes to replacing missing teeth. They look natural, don’t require any work on the surrounding teeth and have an extremely high success rate.
Another major benefit of implants is that they are long lasting and durable. In fact, a properly-placed and well-cared for dental implant can last a lifetime. This of course is dependent on how old you are when you receive the implant. If you get it at 25, you might have to replace it when you are older, but if you receive it at 50, you are probably set for life!
Complications and issues that may cause you to need an implant replacement include peri-implantitis, failed osseointegration, nerve or tissue damage, allergic reaction, body rejection or an injury.
Peri-implantitis is an infection around the implant caused by bacteria. The best way to prevent this is with good oral hygiene habits. Failed osseointegration is when the jawbone fails to fuse properly with the implant. Usually your dentist can identify and fix this in the process of receiving the implant, but in some cases you might have it for a for a year before it is discovered. If your implant is placed too close to the nerve, it may cause pain that would necessitate removing the implant. The implant being damaged or being rejected by your body all other possibilities as well.
The important thing to keep in mind with these failure causes is that they are rare. Remember the 98 percent success rate? All of these complications fit into that sliver of 2 percent failure rate. With a quality dental team like Radiance Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, you will be educated about all possible scenarios and we will do our best to make sure they never happen!
