Dental Bridge

[Jessimucha88]

I'm trying to get all of my teeth taken care of. I've neglected them for a long time because of the fear of going to the dentist!

Today at my appointment when they did X-rays they noticed that my #19 tooth has severe decay that's close to the bone & nerve. Dentist want's to get in there to see if it can be fixed with just a dental filling if not it'll turn into an extraction.

My Questions:
1. I've never had a tooth extracted while awake! I have severe anxiety how bad will it be sitting in the chair having a tooth extracted while I'm awake?! I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed but I was asleep during those.

2. They mentioned a dental bridge; are these as strong as the crowns? And can you eat normally with them? I would love to hear the pros and cons on having a dental bridge.

 

[Gordon]

1. I've never had a tooth extracted while awake! I have severe anxiety how bad will it be sitting in the chair having a tooth extracted while I'm awake?! I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed but I was asleep during those.

There's a bit of pushing (not pulling, you don't "pull" teeth out!). Some strange crunching noises and that's about it. It shouldn't be painful, but agree a "STOP" signal with your dentist in advance and if it's even a tiny bit sore, then stop them and get it sorted out.
Normally it takes less than a minute to remove a tooth. (After the local is done)

2. They mentioned a dental bridge; are these as strong as the crowns? And can you eat normally with them? I would love to hear the pros and cons on having a dental bridge.

Yes, same material as crowns are made of. Yes, you can eat perfectly normally with one.
Pros: You don't need a denture, they can look very good, it's easier to eat with one and you don't need to take it out at night
Cons: They are more expensive, the teeth next to the gap need preparing, they need a bit more maintenance by you.

 

[letsconnect]

A dental bridge that replaces one tooth is sort of like three interconnected crowns - probably easier to visualise with a picture:



As Gordon has already said, the teeth next to the gap need preparing, which isn't a big issue if they're already in a bad state and need crowns anyway. But if they're in good nick, maybe you could check if you're a candidate for an implant. That would avoid having to touch the adjacent teeth.