I had my dental cleaning and exam last week. It was time for an X-ray, so when my dentist came into the room for the report, she said that I had a cracked anchor tooth beneath my upper left dental bridge. I don’t feel pain, and the bridge feels fine. However, my dentist wants me to get a new bridge. I don’t have money for a new bridge. How long can I delay it? Thanks. Kamille
Kamille,
Damage to a tooth part of a dental bridge often requires replacing the bridge.
Do You Need a New Bridge If a Tooth in It Breaks?
Dental bridge
If a tooth is cracked and is an anchor (abutment) for a dental bridge, your dentist will remove it and provide a new bridge. The new bridge would replace the originally missing tooth and the recently cracked tooth.
However, we have some concerns:
A cracked tooth without symptoms. If you have a cracked tooth, you will likely feel symptoms, such as sharp pain when biting anything hard or with prolonged chewing.
A cracked tooth covered by a dental crown. It is unusual for a tooth to crack that is protected by a dental crown. The purpose of a dental crown is to protect a worn, damaged, or broken tooth.
We recommend getting a second opinion from an experienced dentist. Avoid telling the second-opinion dentist about your dentist’s diagnosis and recommendation for a new dental bridge. Give as little information as possible without mentioning a cracked tooth. Explain that you want the dentist’s opinion about your upper left teeth and whether they look okay.
How Can You Benefit from a Dental Implant vs. a Bridge?
A dental implant’s advantage over a bridge is that it replaces a missing tooth without the support of adjacent teeth. If a tooth next to an implant cracks, it will not affect the implant. In contrast, if a tooth is part of a dental bridge, you will need a new bridge and may need tooth extraction.
If one of your dental bridge teeth is damaged, consider replacing it with a dental implant to minimize the number of times you need a new dental bridge due to tooth trauma, damage, or decay.
David Finley, DDS, a Monroe, Louisiana, accredited cosmetic dentist and Academy of General Dentistry Fellow, sponsors this post. Read about what Dr. Finley and his team do to provide some of the best dental care in Monroe.
