So, you’ve just gotten a dental bridge for your smile. You’re likely pretty happy to have your full grin back. That said, don’t act carelessly – your new restoration will stop working otherwise. You’d then have to spend time and money on a replacement. As for what causes a dental bridge to fail, just let your Northbrook dentist explain things. Here’s a helpful primer on bridge failure, its causes, and some great ways to prevent it.
What Causes a Dental Bridge to Fail?
Overall, there are three possible causes of dental bridge failure. They are:
Poor Oral Hygiene
Though they aren’t “real” teeth, dental bridges depend on good oral care. They’ll soon start to fail if your mouth goes uncleaned.
You see, dental bridges connect to abutments. These latter teeth keep your prosthetic ones steady and secure. However, the abutments will decay if bacteria get under your bridge. Your new teeth will then become unstable, leading to bridge failure.
Lack of Dental Visits
True enough, dental bridges don’t decay like natural teeth. They can’t erode from the bacteria in your mouth. Still, a lack of dental visits will slowly make them fail.
To be honest, you alone can’t keep your mouth clean. Your toothbrush and floss will always miss some hard-to-reach places. Similarly, you’re likely to overlook potential oral issues. Such facts mean going without a dentist will harm your bridge. If you don’t see them often, they can’t diagnose and prevent threats to the appliance.
Bad Oral Habits
Bad oral habits won’t just harm your natural teeth. If left unchecked, they could eventually cause bridge failure as well.
While durable, dental bridges can’t endure everything. They’ll break when faced with intense pressure.
Naturally, then, habits like nail biting and teeth grinding put them at risk. These actions will soon cause your bridge to collapse and fail.
How to Prevent Bridge Failure
Luckily, there are ways to avoid an early bridge failure. It’s just a matter of sound judgment and using the right tips. In particular, consider the tricks below:
- Clean Your Teeth Daily – Usually, abutment teeth will stay healthy if you brush twice daily and floss once daily. They’ll then continue to support your dental bridge.
- Form Good Oral Habits – Look into replacing bad oral habits with good ones. That way, you won’t put your dental bridge under excess pressure.
- Get Regular Dental Checkups – If you see your dentist roughly every six months, they’ll prevent (and reverse) threats to your dental bridge.
As you can see, various factors can cause a dental bridge to fail. To compensate, use the tips above to ensure your new teeth have a long life.
About the Practice
Northbrook Dental Group is based in Northbrook, IL. As led by Drs. James and Justin Woodruff, our practice seeks to give you the best smile possible. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, as well as emergency oral care. Naturally, our team is also ready and able to provide great dental bridges! For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (847)-272-0049.