Front teeth broken off

Frith

After appointment number 6 (!) yesterday, a new appointment has been made in May and son has to decide on a new denture or a bridge. (His denture doesn’t really fit now as there must have still been swelling when it was cast). 

Big Tooth is dead and no bother, despite no root canal treatment being done. It’s got rather a crazed texture to it but it seems to be holding up ok. 

Will Big Tooth be strong enough to support a bridge...? 

Toothsmith

Frith said:

After appointment number 6 (!) yesterday, a new appointment has been made in May and son has to decide on a new denture or a bridge. (His denture doesn’t really fit now as there must have still been swelling when it was cast). 

Big Tooth is dead and no bother, despite no root canal treatment being done. It’s got rather a crazed texture to it but it seems to be holding up ok. 

Will Big Tooth be strong enough to support a bridge...? 

These are all questions only his dentist can answer Frith. No 2 cases are ever the same! 

His denture doesn't fit now because the bone that was supporting the lost tooth gradually disappears now there is no tooth there. In the first 2-3 years dentures won't last that long due to these changes.

Have implants been discussed as a future option?

Although expensive, these are often the best way to treat lost teeth in younger people, as they don't involve any preparation of other, more healthy teeth.

But nothing I suggest should be taken as more authoritative that what the dentist treating him is suggesting, as he is the only one with all the necessary information.

Frith

Thank you for your reply.

Implants haven’t been suggested, probably as all his care has been NHS as he is on an apprentices wage. We have read up on them and he is not sure he wants more poking and pain. He also wondered how long you have to wait after the operation before they attach the tooth to the implant bit? Presumably you look a bit rubbish during that time and he’s got a public facing job...

All lady dentists in our practice, btw. 

Toothsmith

Agghhh - I always try so hard to make my answers gender-neutral! Missed one! 

It should be that case that all options are discussed with him no matter what payment system they fall under. 

All treatments for him will have factors of life span, financial cost, biological cost (how much of other, healthy teeth  will be sacrificed to repair this problem) and repairability (what will happen next when the selected treatment gets to the end of its life).

So it's easily possible picking the quickest, easiest, cheapest treatment now might end up as the one with the shortest life span, that will be hardest to repair at the end of it's life, and cost more in the long run.

Make sure you have been told/asked about all the options available, regardless of whether or not you feel you can afford them at this stage.

Not all may be suitable to him and I can't say which will be and which won't. But this will affect the rest of his life, and good choices now, with a thought to the fact he's hopefully got a good 70 yrs + on the planet yet, and so that means a few replacement cycles of the dental work he needs now. 

Frith

The tooth saga rumbles on....

Temporary bridge today. Proper bridge next week. His smile is now the stuff of nightmares. We’ve got to know the dentist pretty well over the 9 (!) appointments since his accident so I hope she forgives me for saying, “ He looks like a shark!”