Dental bridges are among the popular options for tooth replacement, especially if you’re missing one or more teeth in a row. They function very close to your own healthy teeth. But when you feel pain in your dental bridge, it’s pointing to an underlying issue with your restoration, teeth, or gums. Let’s break it down.
Reasons Why You Have Pain in Your Dental Bridge
Here are some of the most common causes why your dental bridge hurts:
Initial discomfort after fitting
Having mild pain after getting a new bridge fitted? This can happen once the local anesthesia effect fades off. Your teeth and gums take some time to adjust to the new restoration in your mouth, so slight initial pain is normal.
Most of the time, this discomfort resolves in a day or two.
Decay under the bridge
Your teeth that support the dental bridge can still get cavities, even if they’re capped. This is more likely to happen when patients don’t brush as regularly as they should, or skip cleaning the area under the bridge.
Sometimes, the issue worsens to a point where you may develop throbbing pain in one of your supporting teeth. Seek dental care as early as possible.
Gum inflammation around the bridge
Food particles may get lodged under the bridge while you’re eating. Without proper cleaning, food debris and plaque buildup trigger inflammation in your gums.
Improper fit
Sometimes, the pain occurs because the bridges didn’t fit correctly over your teeth in the first place. You’ll likely have pain on the same day of your bridge fitting or a few days later.
Bite changes over time
Your bite doesn’t stay the same all your life. Because of these changes, even a perfectly fitted dental bridge may start to hurt. You may feel extra pressure on one or both of your abutment teeth.
What to Do If Your Dental Bridge Hurts?
It’s not easy to tell whether your dental bridge pain is because of a problem with the restoration itself or your teeth. If you have been having bridge pain for several days, see your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will examine the bridge closely and take X-rays to check the condition of the teeth that support it. They will also check for high spots. These can be easily adjusted in the same visit.
If an infection develops in a supporting tooth, your dentist will determine whether the bridge can be removed without damage or whether a replacement will be needed after treatment.
Final Words
Dental bridge pain can occur at any point, sometimes even years later. It’s hard to tell the exact reason behind it without a dental exam. In this case, home remedies may provide temporary relief, but they do not address the underlying cause. Visit our dental experts at Alonso Family Dental or call us at (281) 778-8400 to schedule your visit.