Question: What happens if a dental bridge breaks?
Explanation: A bridge can fail in several ways. The porcelain may chip, the connector between units may fracture, or the abutment tooth beneath may decay or break. Because a bridge is a single rigid unit spanning several teeth, failure of one part compromises the whole. A fractured connector usually means remaking the bridge. Decay in an abutment may mean losing that tooth, requiring a redesign of the entire restoration. Keep the area clean, avoid chewing on it, and get assessed promptly. Bacteria under a failing bridge cause rapid decay.
Related Questions:
Can a broken bridge be repaired in the mouth?
Rarely satisfactorily. Small porcelain chips may be smoothed or bonded. Fractured metal connectors cannot be reliably repaired intraorally. In most cases the bridge is removed, the abutment teeth reassessed, and a new restoration made.
What happens if the tooth holding my bridge decays?
If the decay is accessible and the tooth is restorable, the bridge is removed, the tooth repaired, and a new bridge made. If the abutment tooth is lost, the span increases and the design must change, potentially to a longer bridge, a denture, or implants.
Why do bridges fail?
Decay at the margins of the abutment crowns is the leading cause, often because cleaning beneath the pontic is neglected. Other causes include mechanical fracture from overload, root canal problems in an abutment, and periodontal disease undermining support.
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