just say no to fixed bridges

[Thomas Bird]

No matter what your dentist tell you, permanent bridges are most certainly NOT permanent. I have been through two of them and I would never recommend anyone to get one of those horrible things. All a bridge does is trade in one set of dental problems for an even greater set of dental problems later on. If you get 10 years out of your bridge it is a small miracle and after that bridge fails if your roots are strong enough to handle another one afterwards it is an even greater miracle. After that you are looking at a denture. Fixed bridges make absolutely no sense. Destroying good teeth to fill spaces is an extremely risky proposition to begin with, but what your dentist won't tell you is the myriad of problems that an occur:

1. if you damage one of the crowns you most likely must replace the entire bridge
2. if you get a cavity under the bridge you are positively screwed
3. bridges place a tremendous amount of stress on your roots and greatly increase the likelihood of one of your other teeth failing.
4. bridges are terribly painful and expensive to replace
5. upper bridges grind down teeth below them like a soap stone
6. when your bridge fails (and it WILL fail eventually), your only real option will be a partial denture.

KEEP YOUR NATURAL TEETH ALWAYS! Bridges do nothing but trade small dental problems for big ones later on. If you have one space your trying to fix, when you do a 3 crown bridge you will soon have 3 spaces to worry about instead of only one. JUST SAY NO TO FIXED BRIDGES! THEY ARE A WASTE OF TIME AND ALL THEY DO IS PUT MORE MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF CROOKED DENTISTS!

 

[sqwerl]

Bridges are a great option but are obviously not for everyone and the trade-offs should be discussed with your dentist. If your dentist lead you to believe your bridges would last a lifetime then either he/she wasn't truthful or you didn't ask the right questions. Bridges can last as few as 2-3 years but this is often due to poor hygiene and not having routine cleanings. They have been known to last as long as 25 years or more. Life of the bridge can also be affected by diabetes, periodontal or other diseases.

The key to replacing missing teeth with dental fixtures is sustaining the life of the remaining teeth. Removable partial dentures would be my last option as they have been shown to either increase tooth loss greater than a fixed bridge or at least didn't help the survival rate of remaining teeth like fixed bridges have been shown to do. Some studies have shown removable partial dentures increase abutment tooth loss from 17% to 30% at 4-7 years yet have also shown tooth supported bridges improve survival with tooth loss from 7%-10%.

Your options after a bridge failure aren't always limited to only partial dentures as you claim. Many people have the option of another bridge that sometimes can be attached to stronger teeth than the original bridge. You also have the option of dental implants which usually significantly increase the rate of tooth survival over partial dentures and even bridges. There are also more risks with implants however and they are usually quite expensive.

Ultimately someone should research all options and meet with several different dentists to discuss the trade-offs before they decide on a replacement option. They shouldn't rely on the wild speculation and extremely biased information from the banned user above.

 

[Bert]

Implant is certainly the first option to replace a missing tooth. Now a days there are very little contra-indications. Fixed bridge is the second option. And the decision is made ultimately around the financial situation.
best of luck,
Bert

 

[rob55]

A fixed bridge will do just that - bridge the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth with a new, false tooth that is attached to your natural surrounding teeth via crowns. A fixed bridge is not removable, but it does look natural and is a successful way to replace a missing tooth that will last - making sure that you have a beautiful, complete smile for years.

 

[Bertram Boniface]

Why was Thomas Bird banned?
He just sounds as though he has had some thoroughly bad treattment carried out and is rightly upset and angry. Much of what he says is true.
1. If you damage one unit, then repair if possible, is difficult. Often the bridge has to be remade.
2. If you get a cavity under the bridge then this can indeed jeopardise the whole bridge. Cavities are rare under well fitting bridgework but unfortunately well fitting bridgework is also rare.
3. If well designed and executed, bridges do not unduly stress the supporting teeth.
Unfortunately a great deal of bridgework is substandard and does indeed lead to further tooth loss.
4. High quality dentistry, like anything else of high quality, tends to be costly.
By and large you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap dentistry be prepared for trouble. Unfortunately not all costly dentistry is good dentistry.There is absolutely no excuse for dental treatment being "terribly painful" - you are seeing the wrong dentist.
5.If a bridge has the wrong bite relationship with the opposing teeth, it can indeed cause accelerated wear, discomfort and further trouble. If the bridge is adjusted and then not repolished and reglazed, the wear can be very severe.
5.In time, everything fails, that is inevitable. However how long a bridge lasts before it fails depends on (i) how well it was made and (ii) how well it was looked after. Bad bridgework (which is common) fails within three or four years. Good bridgework can and should last for at least twenty years. Mine did. However if you put beautifully made bridgework into a filthy and neglected mouth then that will fail pretty quickly too.
All too often bad bridgework causes more problems than it solves and sadly too many dentists are either incompetent or dihonest or both. Were that not the case, there would be far fewer angry patients suing their dentists.

 

[dentalguy23]

JUST SAY NO TO FIXED BRIDGES! THEY ARE A WASTE OF TIME AND ALL THEY DO IS PUT MORE MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF CROOKED DENTISTS!

Not sure if that is a fair statement. You made some good points but there are definitely times when bridges are necessary.