Single false tooth for 24 year old daughter.

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This is a long story so bare with me.

A few weeks ago dd started getting pain in her teeth on & off so went to the dentist. Turns out the tooth next to her front tooth is completely dead. Root is totally gone & the only thing holding it in is the permanent retainer that she has after her braces, as it’s glued to it. She has arranged to go this Saturday to start the process of getting an implant.
Today they phoned her to say this may not be possible as there may not be room enough for an implant so they’re basically going to take an impression to make a false tooth that she’ll have instead.

She’s devastated at the thought of a false tooth. Can anyone tell me any positive stories about this. Or even any alternatives she might explore?

id really appreciate any advice.

thanks.

Once the tooth is removed she will have a tooth on a plate initially whilst it all heals.

she will then be able to have a bridge fitted. It’s a tooth that is permanently attached to the tooth next to it. I have one for my front tooth and it’s been brilliant for over a decade.

My user name is because it recently fell out and, due to one cock up after another, I’ve had to wait a month to get it re fitted! Happily back in place now.

Omg thank you so much. That’s very positive. She’ll be delighted with that. I really appreciate it.

I’ve had a floating bridge at the top front for 3 decades. Zero problems with it. No one except my dentist and I know it’s there.

I didn’t have a plate fitted, I went with a temporary gap for 14 days, then a temporary floating bridge was used whilst we waited for the final bridge to be made. My choice as I went private and it cut costs a little. Gave me some street cred as I was an electrician at the time!

Consult an implant specialist before ruling it out. A bridge damages the teeth beside it.

Due to a childhood accident nearly 50 years ago, I have 4 false front teeth. They are on a plate and nobody apart from my immediate family (and the dentist), are any the wiser.

I have two fake teeth at the front - they just never came through!
I’ve had Maryland bridges for years (attached to teeth the other side) and I have to say, unfortunately, that they aren’t great. One falls out from time to time and obviously I can’t bite into anything. Look into implants if you can as I’m sure this is the best option.

What is a floating bridge @Alphabet1spaghetti2

Almost half of my dads front teeth are bridges (accident with a flying brick). They're (4?) decades old and I can't tell which are real and which are not and I'm his daughter! He says it feels like having his own teeth.

DD (20) has a bridge next to her top front teeth. It has come off once necessitating a private dental appointment in her university city but otherwise has been totally problem free.

I have a gap at the front where my bridge is placed. A pure bridge would clip onto the adjacent tooth- this can wear the clipped on to, tooth enamel- not good.
The tooth adjacent to my bridge has been root filled and crowned, my bridge is attached to that crown. But it’s been moulded as a one piece. It’s solid where you would expect to be able to floss between the teeth. (Catches out so many hygienists!) So it’s the crowned tooth which holds the bridge in place. The bridge literally floats in the gap. It’s not attached via a plate of clip to any other dental work/posts/teeth.

I had a bridge done about ten years ago and have never had any issues with it

I have a plate with a false front tooth at the moment. I am undergoing some quite serious treatment which includes two bone grafts, so it will be a while before I can get the implant.

For a temporary measure I think it's OK, but I won't beat around the bush, I really dislike it. It has taken a while to get used to and I feel like I lisp wearing it.

So just to give you a heads up, it's not something I would suggest as a permanent option.

thanks for all the replies. It’s calming us down a lot.

Ladies when you say bridge or floating bridge, are these things that you can pop in & out or are they attached permanently?

My bridge is attached permanently

I’ve got two. I had loads of orthodontic issues, including one missing tooth and one tiny “peg” tooth. One is a bridge has been in situ since 1998! The other fell out twice and had to be replaced. They look pretty natural and unless I point them out people don’t even notice…and these are right next to my front teeth!

My floating bridge is permanently attached.
clean as a normal tooth, although you floss the minuscule gap between the top of bridge and the gum as well. I do mean minuscule- an interdental stick flosser will not fit.

I've got an implant. I had it put in about 20 years ago when I was early 30s. The dentist said it was a better bet for my age than a bridge, which would need to be replaced, possibly several times.
It's been brilliant, no issues at all to date. It's a tiny titanium post and the false tooth attaches to that. The benefit is there are no wires or plates so your mouth feels exactly the same as before.
It wasn't cheap but I'm very glad I went down that route.

Guys thank you so so much for all the replies. They’ve been so helpful. Very much appreciated especially from this stressed out mammy. :-)

I have two implants and a bridge near my front teeth. Both are fine, easy to keep clean with floss and interdental brushes. Little to choose between how realistic they look but, if I'm honest, I do slightly prefer the Implants. As a PP said, I would look for a specialist Implant Centre with good reviews and go to see them for a second opinion. I spent more on going to the best I could find and I'm very glad I did. That said, if a bridge does turn out to be the best option I'm sure your daughter won't have any problems with it and no one will know. Good luck.

I got a bridge next to my front teeth when I was around 18/19, never had any issues at all and you can't even tell it's not real. I've had it 20+ years (replaced after 15yrs) and the only time I ever remember it's there is when I go for a checkup.

No such thing as a ‘floating bridge’. What’s been described is a cantilever bridge.
There are many different types of bridge. The most common are resin retained (previously known as Maryland) or full coverage.
Resin retained are where there is a ‘wing’ (can be metal or ceramic)behind the adjacent tooth (cantilever) or teeth (fixed-fixed). Resin retained have the advantage that they are ‘minimal or no-prep’ - not much tooth tissue needs to be removed to fit them. They do have the disadvantages that the metal wing can make the adjacent tooth appear greyer and they can be dislodged.
full coverage bridges are where either or both of the adjacent teeth are effectively crowned and the missing tooth is attached to the crown. They are more secure but require more tooth tissue removal (personally I’d only rarely use a root filled tooth for support as a root filled tooth is already weaker and then having to do the job of 2 teeth but there’s always exceptions).
It sounds like having orthodontic work has caused root resorption of the tooth. I’m wondering if the issue is that there’s not enough bone to support an implant…

Well mine is not a cantilever bridge as you’ve described a cantilever bridge. Nor is it a resin retained. Mine was and continues to be described as a floating bridge by past, and current dentists. 🤷‍♀️
It does it’s job beautifully and has done for 30 years minimum. Long may it continue
to do so.

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 a cantilever bridge is a bridge attached to only one tooth. From your own description you have a cantilever bridge

That’s not what you described, nor is it what you described in your post! It is quite possibly NOW known as a cantilever, but certainly wasn’t 30 years ago and still isn’t with my present day dentist.

i described a cantilever resin retained bridge. I’m very sorry I didn’t fully describe a cantilever full coverage bridge. They have been known as cantilever bridges from the 1970’s