Dental Bridge Replacement in Marylebone, London
A bridge rarely fails on its own. What usually fails is one of the teeth carrying it, which is why a loose or leaking bridge is a reason to have the whole span assessed rather than simply recemented.
- CBCT scan on site
- GDC-registered dentists
- Written plan before you commit
How long does a dental bridge last?
There is no fixed lifespan. The Oral Health Foundation says that with good care a bridge can last many years, and how many depends mostly on the teeth holding it up. A bridge usually fails because one of those supporting teeth fails, through decay under its crown, gum disease or a crack, rather than because the bridge itself wears out.
That is why the replacement question is really about the supporting teeth. If they are sound, a new bridge is often reasonable. If one cannot be saved, the span gets longer and an implant, which needs no support from neighbouring teeth, is usually worth costing alongside it. Published W1 prices for both are compared on the dental implant cost page, and the single tooth implant page sets implant, bridge and denture side by side.
What you're seeing
Dental bridge problems
A conventional bridge replaces a missing tooth by crowning the teeth on either side and spanning the gap between them. Those supporting teeth carry the load of the missing one as well as their own, and they were cut down to take the crowns. That is the trade the bridge makes, and it is why the failure pattern is different from a single crown.
Decay at the margin where the crown meets the tooth is the most common cause, and it is often silent because the bridge covers it. A supporting tooth can also fracture under the additional load, or a root canal in one of them can fail. Because the span is cemented as one unit, a problem in one abutment usually means the whole bridge has to come off, and by then the tooth underneath may not be restorable.
What follows depends on what is left. Sometimes the bridge can be remade. Sometimes a failed abutment tooth has to be removed, which turns a three-unit problem into a larger gap. Implants become relevant here for a specific reason: they replace the missing tooth without requiring healthy neighbours to carry it, so the failure of one unit no longer takes two sound teeth with it. Where a supporting tooth has already been lost, an implant can often take over its role.
Why it happens
Why a dental bridge fails
- Decay forming at the margin where a crown meets a supporting tooth, hidden beneath the bridge
- Fracture of a supporting tooth under the extra load of carrying the span
- Failure of a root canal treatment in one of the supporting teeth
- Gum disease around the abutment teeth, loosening the whole span
- Cement washout, which lets bacteria track under a crown that still looks intact
- Heavy grinding or clenching, which overloads the span and its supporting teeth
Treatment approach
Dental bridge replacement options in Marylebone
Implant Consultation
On enquiryThe first step, because the decision depends entirely on whether the supporting teeth can be saved. A scan and examination establish what is restorable before any bridge is disturbed.
See treatment detail →Single Tooth Implant
On enquiryWhere a failed bridge is replaced tooth by tooth, an implant carries the missing unit itself, so neither neighbour has to be cut down or crowned again to support it.
See treatment detail →Bone Grafting
On enquiryWhere an abutment tooth has to be removed, grafting the socket at extraction preserves ridge width and keeps a straightforward implant possible later.
See treatment detail →Full Arch Implants
On enquiryWhere a long bridge has failed and several supporting teeth are unrestorable, rebuilding the whole arch on implants is usually more predictable than repeatedly patching it.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Dental bridge questions,
answered
My bridge feels loose. Can it just be recemented?
Sometimes, but a loose bridge is usually loose because something underneath has changed. Recementing over undiagnosed decay seals the problem in. The bridge should come off and the supporting teeth be assessed properly, and only then is recementing a reasonable option rather than a delay.
Why does a bridge fail when the crowns look fine?
Because the bridge hides what is happening beneath it. Decay typically starts at the margin where crown meets tooth, out of sight and often without pain until it is advanced. A supporting tooth can also crack under the extra load while the porcelain above it remains intact.
Should I replace a failed bridge with another bridge or with implants?
It depends on the supporting teeth. If they are sound and already crowned, a new bridge may be sensible. If one has failed, another bridge asks the remaining teeth to carry more. An implant replaces the missing tooth independently, which is why it is often the better long-term answer.
What happens if a supporting tooth cannot be saved?
The gap becomes larger, and the plan changes accordingly. Grafting the socket at the time of extraction preserves bone width and keeps a straightforward implant possible. Where several units are involved, replacing the whole section on implants is usually more predictable than a longer bridge.
Can Marylebone Dental Implants assess a bridge fitted somewhere else?
Yes, and that is most of what this page is for. Bring the practice name, roughly when the bridge was fitted and any X-rays you were given, then expect an examination and a CBCT scan rather than an opinion from a photograph. Marylebone Dental Implants sees plenty of bridges with twenty years left in them, and says so.
Related Concerns
Get Started
Request a dental implant assessment in Marylebone,
and UNTIL Health Concierge arranges it at Orchard Street.
Marylebone Dental Implants • UNTIL, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ
Request an assessmentThe UNTIL Health Concierge team says it will be in touch within 24 hours of your enquiry.