When I was young I chipped one of my teeth, and just had it pulled. That was before the days of implants, and that's okay because I probably couldn't afford one anyway. So, after spending some time with a missing tooth, I decided to do something about it, not only for chewing purposes but also for appearance.
The dentist back then recommended a bridge, which sounded great to me because it would fill in the space of my missing tooth. I wasn't aware then that a bridge meant drilling down the two good teeth next to the missing one to secure the bridge. So I was shocked and depressed when realizing what I had approved. Live and learn.
No going back, I got the bridge and it was good enough to move forward and forget about my episode. This was in the 70s and I had it replaced once since then. Last week I went to the dentist for an annual checkup, and they suspected that there might be some decay under the bridge. They just thought this from probing with the instrument. Since decay can't be seen with x-rays on bridges, it was a guessing game. But, if there was decay, there would be a chance of weakening the supporting teeth of the bridge, making a 3 tooth bridge into a 4 tooth....that did not sound like an option to me.
Let me say that since I was a kid, I had bad teeth and a lot of cavities. My mother never let us eat a lot of sweets and we had no sodas or anything in the house, it was just one of those things, daily brushing didn't help. This bridge is the only artificial teeth in my mouth, lots of fillings though and a couple of root canals and crowns.
So, yesterday when they removed the bridge and actually found a cavity, it was good news. I didn't go through that procedure and expense for nothing. They took care of the decay and fitted me with a temporary until the permanent bridge is ready, this one should last me till my final days.
Since I don't have dental insurance, they gave me a $1,000 discount on the cost, instead of the usual $3,000, it was only $2,000. Still a lot of money, but I'm glad to keep as many of my natural teeth as possible, even if it means replacing a needed bridge. Don't want to ever go the dentures route, but I understand that everyone's situation is different, and sometimes they are needed.
The dentist back then recommended a bridge, which sounded great to me because it would fill in the space of my missing tooth. I wasn't aware then that a bridge meant drilling down the two good teeth next to the missing one to secure the bridge. So I was shocked and depressed when realizing what I had approved. Live and learn.
No going back, I got the bridge and it was good enough to move forward and forget about my episode. This was in the 70s and I had it replaced once since then. Last week I went to the dentist for an annual checkup, and they suspected that there might be some decay under the bridge. They just thought this from probing with the instrument. Since decay can't be seen with x-rays on bridges, it was a guessing game. But, if there was decay, there would be a chance of weakening the supporting teeth of the bridge, making a 3 tooth bridge into a 4 tooth....that did not sound like an option to me.
Let me say that since I was a kid, I had bad teeth and a lot of cavities. My mother never let us eat a lot of sweets and we had no sodas or anything in the house, it was just one of those things, daily brushing didn't help. This bridge is the only artificial teeth in my mouth, lots of fillings though and a couple of root canals and crowns.
So, yesterday when they removed the bridge and actually found a cavity, it was good news. I didn't go through that procedure and expense for nothing. They took care of the decay and fitted me with a temporary until the permanent bridge is ready, this one should last me till my final days.
Since I don't have dental insurance, they gave me a $1,000 discount on the cost, instead of the usual $3,000, it was only $2,000. Still a lot of money, but I'm glad to keep as many of my natural teeth as possible, even if it means replacing a needed bridge. Don't want to ever go the dentures route, but I understand that everyone's situation is different, and sometimes they are needed.