What to do if the dental bridge is loose? | Dental bridge as dental prosthesis

What to do if the dental bridge is loose?

If the bridge wobbles in the oral cavity, if it can be moved with the tongue or if it has even come loose completely, there is an urgent need for treatment. A dentist should be consulted immediately. If the bridge comes loose on a weekend or holiday, for example, it is not necessary to go to the emergency service immediately.

It is advisable to put some toothpaste into the bridge and place it on the bridge abutments. The toothpaste becomes harder over time and can thus temporarily fix the bridge for one or two days. However, if the next opportunity arises, the dentist should be consulted for fixation.

In most cases, only the cement is washed out and the bridge can be reattached without any problems. Although phosphate cement is used for the final insertion, after several years some of the cement may come loose, causing the bridge to loosen. However, if an abutment tooth is broken off or decayed under the bridge, the teeth must be treated in advance and then it must be checked whether the bridge can still be inserted in the form. If necessary, a new bridge must be created.

How to clean a dental bridge?

The dental bridge is cleaned like the other teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste containing fluoride. The only place that cannot be reached with a toothbrush is the area underneath the bridge, which is in contact with the mucous membrane. Depending on the design of the pontic, cleaning is done in different ways: If the pontic is an “ovate pontic”, the area between the pontic and the oral mucosa is not cleaned, because the mucosa is supposed to “grow” onto the bridge.

Because of the strong bond, no food residues get into the interdental space and the denture looks more realistic and aesthetic. An Ovate Pontic can be recognized by the fact that there is no visible space to the gums. In case of doubt, always consult your dentist.

If the pontic is not in the shape of an Ovate Pontic, the following applies: For this area under the bridge there is special dental floss (Superfloss), which is softly coated and the end of which is reinforced. This end can be threaded under the pontic at the bridge teeth and then the coated part can clean the part of the bridge that lies on the mucosa with movements back and forth. In this way, food debris, which often gets caught in this area, can be easily removed.

Initially, cleaning with special dental floss is a matter of practice, but it is the only way to remove deposits and residues under the bridge. If these remains are left under the bridge, the gums can become inflamed and the abutment teeth can become more susceptible to caries because the bacteria move along the gums towards the teeth. The bone cavity where the teeth are located can also become inflamed and retract, so that the teeth become loose and, in the worst case, threaten to fall out.