There are some extreme situations when a tooth can be knocked out of its socket. This is often related to hard falls, blows to the face, and playing in contact sports without a mouth guard, but there are mundane situations that could also knock a tooth out.
Sometimes the tooth cannot be saved and any remnants must be extracted. This can compromise your mouth in a variety of ways. Losing some of the functionality to efficiently chew food is just the first complication. A knocked-out or extracted tooth could also slur your speech. In time the surrounding teeth can start to twist, turn, and migrate to fill the void, leading to alignment issues and other complications.
In a situation like this Brandon Burger, DDS may recommend having the tooth restored by installing a bridge. A bridge is single piece of dental work, that looks similar to a series of three crowns that have been fused together into one single unit.
Your dentist will first form an abutment out of each of the neighboring teeth. This involves removing the majority of enamel layer of each tooth. The post-like abutments will later serve to anchor opposite ends of the bridge.
Dr. Brandon Burger will then take a detailed impression of the abutments, the void, and the corresponding teeth in your bite pattern. Later this will be sent to a dental lab where your permanent bridge is crafted. Then a temporary crown is placed over each abutment to protect it.
Later, we will call you back in for a brief second appointment when the dental lab has finished your new bridge. The temporary crowns are removed and your new permanent bridge will be cemented in place over the abutments.
If you have a tooth that was recently knocked out, lost, or required extraction, you should call Brandon Burger, DDS at 615-889-8202 to schedule an appointment.