Don't Let a Missing Tooth Hold You Back in Life

2 Tips To Help Extend The Life Of Your Cantilever Bridge

by Wyatt Morgan

Going years with missing or damaged teeth can mess up your self-esteem. Dental bridges are often installed as a way to correct this issue. A cantilever bridge is one of the more common types of dental bridges that are used. This bridge is designed to be used for years without any issues. However, a cantilever bridge will eventually fail. How long the bridge remains healthy depends on well you take care of it. Replacing a cantilever bridge every few years will quickly get old. Good habits will ensure that you are able to use the dental appliance for much longer. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use in order to do this.

Be Mindful of the Amount of Force You Place on the Bridge

In many cases, you may feel as though you can use your mouth to chew or open anything because of the dental bridge. The cantilever bridge is not indestructible. It will eventually cave under an intense amount of pressure. The quickest way to avoid this is to consider the foods that you choose to eat. If you are always eating hard candies, nuts or rare steak, then you are slowly damaging your cantilever bridge. The constant force will cause cracks to form throughout the bridge. You do not have to give up hard foods but you should consider limiting how often you eat them. In addition, you should avoid using your bridge to open bottles, cans or other hard objects. Using your cantilever bridge as a tool is just as destructive as eating hard foods.

Monitor and Remove Buildup Around Your Gum Line

Cantilever bridge often ended up failing prematurely due to buildup around the gum line. Wearing a dental bridge makes this area more difficult to clean. However, if it goes uncleaned you will most likely experience an infection like gum disease. Using an antibacterial rinse and flossing after meals will be able to ensure that buildup is removed quickly. Make sure that your oral care routine remains consistent. You cannot decide to clean your mouth one night and then skip it the next two nights in a row. This bad habit will ensure that your dental bridge becomes infected.

Cantilever bridges are designed to be long-lasting. This is done to prevent you from having to get the bridge replaced frequently. However, poor habits can cut the life on your cantilever bridge extremely short. For more information, visit sites like http://www.kcgordondental.com.

Share