Frequently Asked Questions About Adult Tooth Loss
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
September 15, 2026
Lost adult teeth cause more than just cosmetic issues. While many patients might be focused on how a gap in their smile affects their confidence, it can also have severe effects on your oral health. Many dentists recommend tooth replacement treatments like dental bridges to replace either single teeth or multiple teeth.
Dental bridges can help restore the function of your teeth as well as the cosmetic look of your smile. They can help prevent problems with chewing, eating, or speaking clearly. Our team in Chicago provides dental bridge procedures including creating new dental bridges and repairing and replacing bridges as needed. If you need to replace a lost adult tooth or you are worried about a broken bridge, please contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our five offices in Chicago.
The most common and most likely recommended dental bridge is the traditional dental bridge. This bridge works by using a tooth on either side of the gap as an anchor. Dental crowns are used to hold the bridge in place, and this helps replace either a single tooth or multiple adjacent teeth. This is recommended for patients who have healthy teeth on either side of a missing tooth or group of missing teeth.
A cantilever dental bridge is similar to a traditional bridge but it only has one anchor point. This is done if there is only one natural tooth that can be used to hold the bridge in place. Because they are relying on a single tooth, they are not as strong as a traditional bridge. So if you have healthy teeth on either side of a gap your dentist will likely not recommend a cantilever bridge.
A Maryland bridge is sometimes called a resin-bonded bridge. Instead of using dental crowns to hold the bridge in place, a dentist uses dental bonding to hold the bridge in place by bonding metal wings from the bridge to the backs of the healthy teeth. This is often recommended for dental bridges for the front teeth. Most chewing pressure is placed on the back teeth, and a bridge made this way would likely not be able to handle that amount of pressure.
As mentioned above there are different types of dental bridges. Your dentist will recommend a type of bridge based on your remaining healthy teeth and which teeth are missing. The most common way to install a dental bridge is with dental crowns. A dental crown is a synthetic cap to a tooth. Similar to a dental filling, this dental material is fused to the tooth. Because of this, your dentist might need to shave down the health tooth and then fuse the bridge in place with the dental crowns on top.
Dental bridges are more often covered by insurance than other dental tooth replacement options. But that depends on your insurance plan. Different insurance plans provide different coverage. For example, you may have a co-pay or a deductible that influences how you use coverage for a dental bridge. For more information, please click below to learn about payment options with our team. We provide financing and other solutions for patients who either do not have insurance or have insurance that does not provide the coverage they need.
Dental bridges are designed to be replacements for lost teeth but can experience wear and tear. Most bridges need to be replaced every 5-7 years. However, the speed at which a bridge gets damaged is often dependent on how a patient treats their teeth. Brushing and flossing can prevent dental decay from hurting the teeth that are used as anchors. This prevents a bridge from becoming loose and eventually breaking or needing to be replaced. Even with great oral care though it is important to see a dentist frequently especially when you have a bridge. That way replacements can be made in advance instead of reactively.
Our dental office provides a variety of treatments that can help patients preserve and maintain their oral health. This includes regular checkups and cleanings to help prevent teeth from getting damaged and falling out as well as a variety of dental treatments like bridges that can help replace a lost tooth.
Like with any medical issue, the earlier issues are caught the better. If we can catch the early signs fo tooth decay or gum disease we can treat them before the tooth becomes loose and falls out or gets infected.
If you live in the Chicago area and are interested in setting up a dental visit with our team, please click below to schedule an appointment.
A dental bridge places a false tooth or multiple false teeth in the mouth by leveraging healthy teeth as anchor points. Traditionally dental crowns are used to hold the bridge in place. The most common dental bridge design is for a single lost tooth. The false tooth is held in place between the two healthy teeth that are on either side.
If you have good oral care, a dental bridge is completely safe for your oral health. That said, dental fillings, crowns, and bridges can potentially increase the risk of a cavity developing. Basically, at the point where the natural tooth ends and the dental crowns begin, there will naturally be a border. Bacteria can collect at this point and if you are not brushing and flossing and seeing your dentist, this can lead to cavities forming. This is why anyone who has a filling, a crown, or a dental bridge should take even more care to follow their dentist’s instructions and see their dentist twice every year.
If your dental bridge feels looser than normal, it is wiggling, or it is broken, you should immediately call a dentist. If the crowns that were holding the bridge in place are chipped, cracked, broken, or have fallen out, you will want to rinse your mouth with warm salt water and avoid putting anything in your mouth. You will need to schedule an appointment with a same-day dental office that provides bridges and crowns. They can place a temporary bridge or crown on your teeth while a new one is made for you. If you have to wait to see the dentist, it is recommended to not eat hard foods, to avoid chewing near the bridge, and to keep rinsing out your mouth to prevent bacteria growth.
The range for a dental bridge varies widely, mostly because of how people take care of their teeth. If you do not see the dentist, do not brush and floss, or have a diet that has a lot of acidic and sugary foods/beverages, this will cause the healthy teeth that the bridge is attached to, to decay which can lead to bridge failure. But if you are seeing your dentist and following their instructions, your bridge can last many years, and if it ever needs to be replaced, your dentist will likely notice first and make that recommendation.
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
Teaching your kids strong oral habits from an early age can help set them up for life. By incorporating simple dental practices into their daily routine,
As family dentists, we are here to help patients of all ages manage their oral health. We primarily work with families at our five locations throughout