Your dental bridgework is expected to perform nearly as well as your natural teeth, which means that it can be an unpleasant surprise if your bridge becomes loose or comes out completely. It can be even more unpleasant if it is after-hours or you don't have immediate access to your dentist. The following tips can help you deal with a loose or broken bridge until you get the help you need.

Tip #1: Visit the ER if There Is Trauma

If your bridge is loose or completely out due to facial trauma, such as an accident or a sports injury, you may need to consider the emergency room before the dentist. If your inner cheeks, gums, or tongue is bleeding or you can feel or see the lacerations, gather the bits of your bridge that you can find and head to the nearest ER or urgent care facility. You may need stitches in your mouth or other treatments completed before a dentist can even begin to reconstruct the bridge.

Tip #2: Create a Temporary Fix

The most common bridge damage that doesn't involve trauma is a loose crown. You can temporarily "glue" the crown back onto the bridge with a standard denture adhesive. Just make sure any adhesive is meant for use on dentures or crowns, since other household adhesives could be toxic or could permanently damage the bridge. Keep in mind that this adhesive isn't as strong as the former bond. Sometimes, the crown is fine but the sections of the bridge that connect to the rear of the neighboring teeth come loose. You can also use denture adhesive to hold these in place if they are the issue. You should only eat soft foods and avoid chewing on the damaged bridge as much as possible. Also, remove the crown before going to sleep – you don't want to lose or accidentally swallow it. You can store it in a small glass of water when it isn't in your mouth, much as you would a denture.

Tip #3: Schedule an Emergency Appointment

It's important that you continue to wear bridgework, otherwise your teeth can begin to shift due to the hole caused by the missing crown. If you can temporarily fit a crown onto the bridge, continue to wear it as much as possible until you can schedule an appointment so that your teeth do not shift. Call an emergency dentist for an immediate repair if you cannot temporarily repair the crown. The only concern isn't shifting in this case. There may be loose pieces of the apparatus still attached to your teeth, which can cause injuries.

Contact a dental clinic like Larchmont Dental Arts LLC to learn more.