Dental Advice faq from Seattle Area Dentist

The amount of retention for crowns and bridges largely depends on the size and shape of the underlying teeth which are holding it. The larger the bridge and the smaller the teeth, the less stable it is. Also, certain habits such as grinding teeth can increase the likelihood of loosening a bridge or crown. Sometimes, in an effort to restore teeth, dentists find it necessary to design a bridge or crown on teeth which may not be very large. In these situations, it is quite possible that the crown will occassionally come off and need to be recemented. If the crown or bridge will not stay on, more extensive dental work may become necessary. As a dentist, I sometimes find it necessary to perform root canal treatments on short teeth so that I can place a post in them. This post then allows for further anchorage of a tooth. In an ideal situation, the crown on a tooth will remain cemented permanently for many many years, especially if the tooth is properly cleaned. I hope this helps!