My tooth #30 was pulled a few months ago. It's in the corner of my mouth, it's not visible from the outside, I have no problem laughing, talking, eating etc. Nevertheless my dentist suggested a bridge.

I understand that in order to install the bridge the dentist would have to shape the teeth surrounding the missing one and place crowns on them. Does it make any sense at all in my case, is it really worth it given that I have absolutely no problem with the fact that the tooth is missing? What are the pros and cons of doing the bridge as opposed to leaving things as they are?

Thanks a lot for your help
Dennis

My tooth #30 was pulled a few months ago. It's in the corner of my mouth, it's not visible from the outside, I have no problem laughing, talking, eating etc. Nevertheless my dentist suggested a bridge.

I understand that in order to install the bridge the dentist would have to shape the teeth surrounding the missing one and place crowns on them. Does it make any sense at all in my case, is it really worth it given that I have absolutely no problem with the fact that the tooth is missing? What are the pros and cons of doing the bridge as opposed to leaving things as they are?

Thanks a lot for your help
Dennis

well my personal opinion,is its at the back ,the gap doesnt notice,you are not getting any trouble ,by leaving it as it is
you can smile and eat ok, and most important !! its causing no problems
i would leave it and wouldnt have the bridge ,why touch perfectly good teeth for a bridge when its not neccessary??

i think your dentist is just trying to get money from you for work that isnt neccessary

so IMO i wouldnt have the bridge ,,unless it was absolutly neccessary

but at end of the day its up to you?

The reason he is suggesting a bridge is that missing teeth allow other teeth to eventually move into the open space and this then changes your bite and can cause other problems. I have seen it happen with myself but the dentist monitored it since I had a wisdom tooth erupting next to the tooth that had to be removed and as he hoped the wisdom tooth erupted within 6 months and slid into the extraction site. I then had the 3 remaining wisdom teeth removed to ensure I maintained an equal number of teeth on both sides. Teeth have a naturally tendency to align themselves with other teeth directly above or below them depending on the amt of space available. If your teeth, gums and bones are healthy and there is little mobility of surrounding teeth it is possible that your teeth will remain where they are presently and you will be fine for many years, however should you at some point start noticing a shift in teeth or bite, wear on the edges of the teeth, feel any type of jaw pain or start getting frequent headaches, sinus problems or earaches, increased tooth sensitivity, grinding/clenching,etc, over time, you then may need to either do the fixed bridge or opt for an implant.