Q.
Dear Dr. Caplan, you kindly responded to a question I had with my teeth. To recap, my problem was that my front right tooth has suffered a lot of trauma over the years due to accidents. I am 34-years old. I have had it capped and I think I have had route canal treatment on it in the past also. However, I understand that it is now dead, my gums have receded a little to reveal the dark brown colour of the tooth underneath. The tooth has become very wobbly (enhanced by wearing for a while an anti snoring guard-which I regret buying!). Anyway my dentist has confirmed that the tooth now needs to be removed. We discussed the options of either an implant or a bridge. He has advised on a 4 tooth bridge. He took some x-rays of the tooth and showed me that the the tooth’s bone is significantly worn down and fractured. I recently obtained a second opinion and the second dentist also advised on a bridge because the bone had worn down too much. He suggested a 6-tooth bridge because he thought the incisors were not stong enough to support bridges and also suggested that the accompanying crowns should be in Zirconium. It seems as though Bridges are the answer although I would definitely have preferred an implant but I would be grateful if you could please advise whether incisor teeth are strong enough to support bridges and also if I went with the metal based crown (which I believe the first dentist was offering) how many years would I have before the metal showed as result of my gums receeding. As stated, they have already receeded a bit and as this is my front tooth that we are talking about, I am a little apprehensive about metal showing. Many thanks for your help, it is greatly appreciated.,