Knocked Out Teeth Can Be Restored with a Bridge

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It’s not unheard-of for a hard fall or a blow to the face to knock out one of your teeth. Sometimes if the tooth is knocked out cleanly, Dr. Nadia Hamouda can implant it back into the socket. Unfortunately, most of the time fragments of the tooth remain in the gums and have to be extracted, thus resulting in the total loss of the tooth.

This can compromise your mouth in several ways. Initially it might only impair your ability to chew food and possibly slur your speech. Eventually the neighboring teeth can start to twist, turn and move to fill the void created by the lost tooth.

In a situation like this Dr. Nadia Hamouda will often recommend having the tooth restored by installing a bridge. A bridge is single piece of dental work, that basically mimics the appearance of a natural tooth. It is joined to a pair of crowns that are anchored on abutments formed from the neighboring teeth.

Dr. Nadia Hamouda will need to form a pair of abutments out of each of the neighboring teeth. This is done by removing the majority of enamel layer of each tooth, leaving a small amount surrounding the dentin layer and root. A temporary crown is then placed over each abutment to protect them.

We will then take an impression of the area and your bite pattern. This will be sent to a dental lab, where your new bridge is made.

Dr. Nadia Hamouda will call you in for a brief second appointment, when the dental lab is done with your permanent bridge. The temporary crowns are removed and your new permanent bridge is cemented in place over the abutments.

If you have a tooth that was recently knocked out or damaged, you should call Dr. Nadia Hamouda at 734-222-0055 to schedule an appointment.