Three Times Unlucky

Question: Four weeks ago, I was eating and my upper front bridge just snapped and fell out. It was the third bridge I had. Thirty-five years ago, I had a tooth knocked out so I got a bridge. Then after about fifteen years it fell out and another tooth was bad so I got another bridge. That lasted for nearly ten years and another tooth went bad and that bridge fell out. I only had my eye teeth left and they needed root canals before this last bridge was put in. Each time I was told this would fix the problem.

The dentist I saw recently told me my bite was way off and this was the reason my bridges were always falling out. I think I need implants because he said my eye teeth were now broken and couldn’t hold a bridge. He took x-rays and other things to tell me my best choices. He said I have just enough good bone for implants but he said my bite needs to be put right if he puts in implants or I’ll just put so much pressure on the new bridge that I’ll wreck it too. I don’t know anything about my bite, I just thought it was either a bad job or my teeth are too weak. He told me that the treatment would be expensive to make the bridge on implants and put my bite right. I guess I knew that but I don’t want to throw good money after bad so that I’m in trouble with my teeth in five years. He said I’ve got good teeth on my upper right side, my upper left has some problems and my lower teeth need crowns to help with the bite and fix some broken teeth.

Is there an easier solution or is it a big deal?

Answer: A bad bite can mean many things so correcting the root causes will be important. Underdiagnosing and undertreating leaves problems that will undermine new treatment.

In essence, the position of your teeth (upper and lower) must be in harmony with the correct position of your jaw joints (TMJs). Careful dental work can achieve this balance but because the muscles, joints, ligaments, and teeth are in a dynamic relationship, minor changes can occur without you being aware. Your dentist will be looking to check this balance so minor changes can be managed.

No, there is not an easy solution. Losing all your upper front teeth is like losing the steering wheel and front-end connections in your car. Not only have you lost the mouth’s guidance systems but the force distribution on the rest of your teeth.

You have a number of options. Thanks to technology (implants) you can have your problem corrected quite quickly and not be forced to wear a denture.