Bridge/single denture

[MumOfBoys1985]

Hi,
I am hoping someone might have some advice or words of wisdom for me. I have an appointment on 28th with my dentist after requesting a second opinion but wondered if anyone might be able to offer any advice in the meantime. I had a root canal in a premolar around 10 years ago after I had an abscess. The root canal was successful (I thought) and I was always told I didn't need a crown on that tooth. However, a couple of months ago, a tiny fragment of the tooth broke away but at a recent check up the dentist (who was not my own dentist) said it was perfectly fine and nothing to worry about. However, I think a little more has broken off and I am terrified of losing the tooth. I was told at my appointment in July that its not possible to have a crown as the dentist who did the root canal made the tooth too thin and the filling large so if they try to reduce the tooth to prep for a crown it will fracture all together. I am an incredibly anxious patient and I am terrified of losing a tooth near the front. The tooth is almost a whole tooth with a large filling inside.

Does anyone know what options I might have - obvioisly I know i need to discuss this with my dentist but I am so anxious I'm not sleeping or eating. People will laugh at me if I lose a front (ish) tooth, I am so self conscious as it is.

Is a crown definitely out of the equation? Could a bridge be possible but would i have to put up with a gap until a bridge can be done? I'd be prepared to pay for an implant but would i have to wait and put up with a gap for 6 months? Are there other options? I have been googling crazily but I am struggling to know if what it tells me are possibilities, actually are, if that makes sense. I am in UK, im an nhs patient but I'd pay for whatever needs to be done.

Thanks so much.

 

[Gordon]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't enough tooth left to crown it to be honest.
An adhesive bridge (Maryland bridge) is the most conservative way to fill the gap, failing that a conventional bridge is possible, the NHS didn't use to allow bridges to be done for 3 months after an extraction (for pretty sensible reasons). Short term a small denture to fill the gap then a bridge would work.
An implant with an immediate temp crown is also possible, albeit not available on NHS and will cost a grand or so...
I'd still think you could either get a crown or a decent bonded filling in there though...

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

Thank you for your quick reply. I wasn't overly happy with the temp dentist I saw in all honesty, not really for anything he had particularly done, just because I didn't know him and his mannerism wasnt as gentle as my usual dentist.

I said i would like to have a crown as I am so anxious that the whole tooth will break and he just said no its not possible because its so thin if we try to reduce it to prepare for a crown it will all just fracture. I haven't been able to stop worrying since then so I have spoken to my usual lady who is happy to see me on 28th but I am just so anxious now I think another little part has broken (I can easily convince myself a huge chunk has come off when it might actually be exactly the same!)

I'm not rich but I'd be really happy to pay for an immediate implant for sure if this is what would be needed. Can you explain to me about a bonded filling? Is that.omly available privately or is it available on nhs? How does that vary to a crown? Apologies if this is a stupid question, I have got myself into a bit of a state over it.

Thank you so much again

 

[MountainMama]

Not a dentist but I can share my experience with having an implant on a front tooth. Mine was on my very front top tooth. My oral surgeon advised against an immediate load implant due to the fact that I had to have quite a bit of bone grafting. I did have an immediate partial denture (flipper) that I wore home immediately after the extraction. The oral surgeon extracted the tooth, and did bone grafting and put in the implant all in the same appointment. I was supposed to get the crown put in after four months but covid happened so it was closer to six months. The flipper was very realistic looking though and if you didn’t already know it, you would not have guessed it was fake.
So if you go the implant route, even if they can’t do an immediate load implant, you can still have a temporary tooth replacement in the meantime.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks MM helpful as always
MoB, a bonded filling is simply a quick and dirty way to repair the tooth, the dentist carefully removes any loose filling, broken tooth fragments, then uses a plastic material to build up the missing bits again. It uses dentine bonding to stick to the rest of the tooth, hence the name
Should be available on the NHS, but I'm not familiar with the English dental system so wouldn't like to guarantee it!