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New Bridge

D

DecoDiva

Junior member
Joined
Jul 6, 2021
Messages
4
Location
UK
I have a very new bridge (couple of days) so know that I will have to take time to get used to it. I am a very nervous patient and did not go to the dentist after my previous one retired for 5 or more years which necessitated a lot of dental work. Over the past 9 months I have gained confidence in my dentist to the stage where he told me that my back teeth were so fragile (they all have amalgam fillings) that they are in danger of breaking below the gum line and would be better if they were crowned. Upper right top had a tooth missing second from the back which was taken out 10-12 years ago. He said I could have the bridge which would restore the missing tooth and make chewing better. I surprised myself that I wanted it done and although the preparation was uncomfortable it was painless and I survived the 2 hours in the chair! I now have the permanent bridge fitted and the teeth feel enormous and very strange. I also feel pressure as if something is squeezing tightly when I push the teeth with my tongue and as if the teeth have a "pulse of their own" although this is not painful and is not constant - more in the evening that during the day The bite seems good and they are not really painful just a little sore. As I said I know I have to get used to them but just wanted to know if anyone else experienced this at first and did it settle down over a couple of weeks. The tooth that replaces the lost one seems big and more towards the lingual side but that could just be because there hasn't been one there for a very long time. Also they don't feel like my natural teeth especially when I brush them there seems to be no feeling in them but again this is probably because they are precious metal encased with porcelain. Lastly I have special floss to clean the bridge and can just about thread it through one side but cannot slide it along over the bridge itself - I have a small jaw opening which does not help - it that right. I have a Waterpik which I use, will that do the same job of cleaning. I am keen to keep the bridge clean to avoid future problems. Any advice or feedback would be welcome as I am thinking of having the bottom teeth crowned to stabilise them but not if they are going to feel like aliens forever!
 
Really hard to say without seeing you. It's worth making an appointment with your dentist for a quick review, if you can't get floss in then it needs a bit of adjusting, a waterpik is not a floss replacement.
 
Is it normal for the teeth on a dental bridge to feel so large. My logic tells me that my dentist made an impression so the lab will have (or should have) made the teeth the same size as the ones that were there before they were prepared - although the bridged one has been missing for more than 10 years. But they feel so big. They touch my tongue all the time and I am aware of the teeth at all times not like my natural teeth. My dentist says that the bite is perfect, I am not suffering any pain apart from pressure within the crowned teeth when I eat (I can close my teeth together with no problem feeling no pressure or pain) when I use a Tepe brush or when I push against it with my tongue. It is making me feel nauseous because I feel there is something large in my mouth all the time. I wonder if anyone else has had these problems and if they do go with time and it is just a matter of me getting used to it. I have now mastered flossing under the bridge although I can only do it back to front as starting at the front seems to find an obstruction and the floss won't move across.
 
Really can't say what's going on regarding the size without seeing the issue. It could be a very simple adjustment to sort it, so give your dentist a call.
The obstruction isn't right and needs fixed anyway.
 
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