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I have a cavity in one of the anchoring teeth of a 7 year old bridge. I am being told by a dentist that he would have to destroy the anchoring bridge. I asked if he could pry the bridge off and save the apparatus, fix the tooth and re-attach the old bridge that is in fine shape. He said no that he may damage the teeth in that effort. I have talked to a number of other friends and family who said that they have had the old bridge removed to get to a cavity and they have had no problem.. I hate to spend $3,000. for a new bridge if I do not need to...... What do you think? |
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It depends on several things. If the original bridge had good retention form on the tooth preparations, it may be impossible to "pry" it off. If it comes off easily, the retention form in the preparations may have been minimal due to amount of tooth structure or preparation design or the alignment of the teeth making up the bridge. If you have severe decay around a pre-existing crown, I would also revisit your oral hygiene / flossing technique around the bridge and/or your diet habits such as sugary foods or especially carbonated drinks (both diet and regular) which can cause problems.
From what it sounds like, you may have your dentist try and retrieve the previous bridge, but this is difficult and may fracture teeth. I would probably remove the bridge, which would destroy it, and repair the decay and redo a new bridge. Sometimes the tooth with the decay may require a root canal and buildup before it can accept a new crown. Remember, the teeth on a bridge take on a greater load, because they also serve in place of the missing teeth as well. It is impossible for me to make an accurate diagnosis without seeing you and giving you an exam with x-rays, but this is what we usually see. Thanks for visiting our web site.
Dr. Charles Wakefield
Associate Professor, Director
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Clinic
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