From London Bridge to Galloping Gertie, history is full of frightening accounts of what happens when bridges fail. While dental bridges can be fantastic ways to replace lost teeth, they can also fail early if they don’t receive proper care. Certain bad habits can degrade the components of your dental restoration or erode the cement holding them in place, eventually causing them to break or fall out. Luckily, there are a few simple best practices you can adopt to keep your bridge in great condition. Here’s a quick guide to how you may be able to help your appliance last longer.
What Habits Can Cause My Dental Bridge to Fail?
Some bad habits are especially excellent ways to destroy your beautiful dental bridge. These include:
- Tobacco use: Any form of tobacco habit is absolutely terrible for your oral health for many reasons. Nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, has a side effect of causing blood vessels to constrict, which makes it harder for the gums to heal and fight infections. This can cause gum disease that leads to the loss of the implants or anchor teeth holding your bridge in place. Smoking or chewing tobacco can also leave unsightly stains and deposits on your natural and artificial teeth.
- Excessive alcohol use: Similarly to tobacco use, excessive alcohol use can make it harder for the gums to stay healthy. Alcohol is also acidic and can erode the cement attaching a traditional bridge to its neighboring teeth.
- Using teeth as tools: Human teeth are not adapted to opening packages or bottles, and using them for this purpose can cause chips, cracks, or fractures in the artificial teeth of your dental bridge as well as your real pearly whites.
- Chewing on non-food items: Chewing on ice, paperclips, writing utensils, or other inedible items can crack and chip your real and artificial teeth or even cause your appliance to break.
How Can I Keep My Dental Bridge in Great Shape?
With proper care and maintenance, your dental bridge may last for fifteen years or more before needing replacement. Remember to stick to a proper oral hygiene regimen that includes brushing, flossing, and rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash in addition to using threader floss or another tool recommended by your dentist to clean beneath and around your dental bridge. It’s also crucial to keep up with regular dental exams and cleanings while limiting your sugar and alcohol intake.
Don’t let a few bad habits ruin your beautifully lifelike dental restoration. If you commit to excellent care and maintenance, your bridge may serve you for many years to come.
About the Author
Dr. Vincenzo Artino earned his dental degree at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, and he has completed countless hours of continuing education coursework to expand his skillset. He is proud to serve as a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Colorado Dental Association, and his office in Lakewood provides general, cosmetic, emergency, and restorative dentistry such as dental bridges. To learn more about proper dental bridge care, contact his office online or dial (303) 238-2800.