Why does my dental bridge keep falling off?

Recently, one of our patients asked: "Why does my dental bridge keep falling off?" We answered that there could be plenty of reasons it falls off.‍Dental bridges are bonded to support your teeth underneath. However, they may fall out from time to time. But what should you do when they fall out? The first thing that you must do is to save it and make sure that you don't lose it. Schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

If the dental bridge is bonded to your front tooth, you should get to your dentist's clinic the same day the bridge fell off. It's vital that you bring the bridge with you when you visit your dentist so it can be bonded back in place.At your dentist's clinic, your doctor will examine your mouth and check the structure of your supporting teeth. He'll determine if they're robust enough to continue supporting the bridge. If the structure is still strong enough, the bridge can be put back in place by cementing it.

On the other hand, if the existing support teeth are no longer strong enough, re-treating the area may be recommended. A new restoration should be done or another tooth replacement might be needed.

Why does your dental bridge keep falling off?

As previously mentioned, there are several reasons why this could happen. One of them is decay.

Decay Under or Around the Bridge

One of the most common reasons bridges fall off is recurrent tooth decay affecting the supporting teeth. Bridges and crowns cover the majority of the supporting tooth. However, there's still an area there that's exposed to food and decay-causing bacteria that may be affected by bacteria. If you don't clean your teeth properly, especially in that area, cavities can develop. Small cavities can start at the crown's margin and expand deeper. If they are not treated, cavities can travel deeper in the tooth until there's not enough tooth structure left to support a crown.

Improper Bite

Another reason your dental bridge has fallen off is that your bite around the affected area has an irregular pattern. An irregular pattern creates pressure points across the dental bridge. It could be that the bridge has an area where it's too high on the chewing surface. It could be hit harder than other areas. When you visit Beachfront Dentistry in Redondo Beach, our dentists will examine your occlusion. Adjustments are done whenever necessary.

What to do while waiting for your dental appointment?

If it's not possible for you to visit your dentist right away after your dental bridge fell off, you should avoid chewing in the affected area. Keep in mind that the area where restorations are performed is weak and your tooth structure might not withstand standard functions. Avoid chewing in that area to prevent tooth structure from breaking off or decay and to preserve remaining tooth structure. If there's no tooth structure remaining, your dentist will have no choice but to recommend a tooth extraction.

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