Loose Fixed Bridge fallen out

RobbingBandit

I had some work done 8 years ago abroad and have a bridge on my bottom left side that has come loose and fallen out tonight, I have managed to pop it back in place and am wondering can I get this put back in by a local dentist(dublin area), I have a medical card and am wondering what the cost would be and would this be seen as an emergency?

davo10

RobbingBandit wrote: »

I had some work done 8 years ago abroad and have a bridge on my bottom left side that has come loose and fallen out tonight, I have managed to pop it back in place and am wondering can I get this put back in by a local dentist(dublin area), I have a medical card and am wondering what the cost would be and would this be seen as an emergency?

Unfortunately the med card covers a limited scope of treatments, exam, 2 fillings per year, unlimited extractions. Bridgework, crowns, veneers etc are considered cosmetic treatments by the HSE and are not covered, there is no code for re cementing a bridge on the med card claim form.

The first piece of advice given by clinicians when a crown/bridge falls out, is to return to the clinic where it was put in. Failing that, in all likelihood you will have to pay to have the bridge re cemented.

Price can vary depending on whether it's a simple case of cleaning out old cement and reseating or, as often occurs, one or both of the teeth fracture and the dentist has to rebuild the supporting teeth before re-seating bridge. One could take 20 mins, the other 45mins plus so it costs could vary. Best thing to do is go back to where it was put in.

desbrook

The OP had it done abroad.

davo10

desbrook wrote: »

The OP had it done abroad.

Pity, that's the problem. They will have records of treatment, condition of supporting teeth etc. hopefully it's just a simple re cement but if there bridge debonded due to tooth failure then it's a much bigger issue. Either way, unfortunately the OP pays. This is one of the drawbacks of travelling for treatment.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Bridges rarely fall out without there being something wrong with the underlying retaining teeth. The medical card will not cover this treatment. It is rarely a matter of simply glueing it back in.

This is the problem I find with dental tourism. It falls apart after some years and leaves the patient is a difficult and expensive situation. My bet is the technical quality of the bridge was poor from day one.

desbrook

Guys - you need to rread the OP's post in a more non-judgmental and accurate fashion . Nowhere does he say that he engaged in dental tourism - he just said the work was done abroad . He may have been working abroad may be from abroad and have come to live here - you dont know .

Even if he did leave here to get a bridge etc done abroad (which covers 100+ countries !!) the attitudes displayed are shocking .

As you rightly say Fitz the problem is USUALLY the underlying teeth and its unlikely to be simply a case of rebonding . No argument there . Immediately though dental tourism is brought in saying that "It falls apart after some years and leaves the patient is a difficult and expensive situation. " Every day in this country bridges fitted here come out - are you really telling me that a dentist here would immediately apolgise and rectify everything free of charge if a patient returned after eight years ??? I've know of a case where a full upper denture has broken (while eating ) after 3 months and the dentist has made the patient pay for repairs . It wasn't an isolated case . Your "guess" is an amazing one that the bridge was of "poor technical quality" . Amazing because you have no idea which of the 100+ other countries on the planet the OP obtained his bridge from in the first place . Zenophobia or arrogance ??

The question of record is one that interests me . I'm presuming that in most of the developed world dentists are obliged to keep records for 10+ years . Presumably the clinician has good English . Overall then in a world with airmail and internet it makes little difference if the previous dentist was in Budapest or Ballybunion .

From the Dental councils's Code of Practice relating to:

Professional
Behaviour
and Ethical
Conduct

Respecting other dental health
professionals
16.2 You must not make disrespectful or
derogatory comments about the skills and
services of other dental health professionals
or about the profession in general.
16.3 You must not criticise the treatment offered
by a colleague simply because there is a
difference of clinical opinion between you
and it is not the treatment you would
provide.
16.4 If in the course of your work you believe
that the treatment provided by another
dentist is unsatisfactory, you should inform
the patient using factual and objective
terms .

Note - Factul and Objective .

RobbingBandit

OP again, I had the work done in Kusadasi in Turkey in 2006 as I lost three teeth while over there on a long term holiday staying in Uncles holiday home. Only one natural tooth remains which was used to anchor the piece I believe. The work has lasted 8 years and after cleaning it last night upon re-cementing it should last a while longer as it is still intact, I have no pain in the area it is more the fact that it is the back four teeth on my lower left hand side so essential for chewing that is the issue.

I am from Dublin. Haven't been to a dentist since as I am one of the many Irish that suffer from dentist phobia. I will pop into Smiles later today to make an enquire as to the cost of recementing, there is a temporary kit in Boots I will pick up just to keep it in place.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

desbrook wrote: »

Guys - you need to rread the OP's post in a more non-judgmental and accurate fashion . Nowhere does he say that he engaged in dental tourism - he just said the work was done abroad . He may have been working abroad may be from abroad and have come to live here - you dont know .

Even if he did leave here to get a bridge etc done abroad (which covers 100+ countries !!) the attitudes displayed are shocking .

As you rightly say Fitz the problem is USUALLY the underlying teeth and its unlikely to be simply a case of rebonding . No argument there . Immediately though dental tourism is brought in saying that "It falls apart after some years and leaves the patient is a difficult and expensive situation. " Every day in this country bridges fitted here come out - are you really telling me that a dentist here would immediately apolgise and rectify everything free of charge if a patient returned after eight years ??? I've know of a case where a full upper denture has broken (while eating ) after 3 months and the dentist has made the patient pay for repairs . It wasn't an isolated case . Your "guess" is an amazing one that the bridge was of "poor technical quality" . Amazing because you have no idea which of the 100+ other countries on the planet the OP obtained his bridge from in the first place . Zenophobia or arrogance ??

The question of record is one that interests me . I'm presuming that in most of the developed world dentists are obliged to keep records for 10+ years . Presumably the clinician has good English . Overall then in a world with airmail and internet it makes little difference if the previous dentist was in Budapest or Ballybunion .

From the Dental councils's Code of Practice relating to:

Professional
Behaviour
and Ethical
Conduct

Respecting other dental health
professionals
16.2 You must not make disrespectful or
derogatory comments about the skills and
services of other dental health professionals
or about the profession in general.
16.3 You must not criticise the treatment offered
by a colleague simply because there is a
difference of clinical opinion between you
and it is not the treatment you would
provide.
16.4 If in the course of your work you believe
that the treatment provided by another
dentist is unsatisfactory, you should inform
the patient using factual and objective
terms .

Note - Factul and Objective .

Desbrook, while you are correct. You will most likely find that the OP went to a dental tourism clinic in order to avail of cheaper treatment. I could be wrong. There is a large number of these patients suffering failures from such work that is well above the normal rate and on a larger scale, and if behoves us to call a spade a spade. We cannot stand back and look at the patients on a day to day basis and say "ah sure that could have happened anywhere". It doesnt happen everywhere to the same extent.

You can see from recent media attention on this topic that the times are changing, and the public and dental profession are no longer cowering behind some ill found loyalty to other dentists, who are damaging patients for their own gain. And these dentist cannot depend on our ethical guidlines to avoid criticism, when they themselves do not follow the same ethics.

It doesnt matter where the dentist is you are correct, what matters is wheather the treatment was given the time and attention it deserved, which dental tourists often dont get, cause they are on a schedule and have maximum work in minimum time. I can tell you from my extensive and bitter experiance, that the re treatment burden for dental tourists is well above average. Now if the patient was living abroad that's a different matter.

My assumptions are just that, but let the OP tell me if I am wrong. I have no ethical obligation on here, the OP is not my patient and my comments are generalizations without specific knowledge of the OPs situation.#


*** Edit....Turkey according to the OP*****

RobbingBandit

Leila Panicky Marmalade wrote: »

Desbrook, while you are correct. You will most likely find that the OP went to a dental tourism clinic in order to avail of cheaper treatment. I could be wrong. There is a large number of these patients suffering failures from such work that is well above the normal rate and on a larger scale, and if behoves us to call a spade a spade. We cannot stand back and look at the patients on a day to day basis and say "ah sure that could have happened anywhere". It doesnt happen everywhere to the same extent.

You can see from recent media attention on this topic that the times are changing, and the public and dental profession are no longer cowering behind some ill found loyalty to other dentists, who are damaging patients for their own gain. And these dentist cannot depend on our ethical guidlines to avoid criticism, when they themselves do not follow the same ethics.

It doesnt matter where the dentist is you are correct, what matters is wheather the treatment was given the time and attention it deserved, which dental tourists often dont get, cause they are on a schedule and have maximum work in minimum time. I can tell you from my extensive and bitter experiance, that the re treatment burden for dental tourists is well above average. Now if the patient was living abroad that's a different matter.

My assumptions are just that, but let the OP tell me if I am wrong.

I lost three teeth while thousands of miles away from Dublin on a research trip preparing for college, what did you expect me to do, you are a mod on this forum show some decorum please. I posted here for advice not to be grilled and slandered.

The Bishop Basher

I was going to reply earlier on this thread but was sidetracked. A few responses since but no improvement in attitude here is quite shocking.

I'm not a dentist but have friends in the trade. I understand the issues around poor quality work done abroad.

The OP came here for advice and was basically told tough, you have to go back to where you can from.

This is nonsense.

OP - Find a reputable dentist that doesn't cast assertions, make judgments or belittle you for having the cheek to have work done abroad. If finance is an issue you may find a dentist that offers treatment plans. Any dentist worth his salt that I know or have dealt with, will identify the issue and correct it for you regardless of who initially carried out the work.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Everyone answered the questions he asked. The fact is that the medical card will not pay to re cement bridgework. And the fact is that if one or more of the abutment teeth will be compromised leading to greater fees. The fact that the work was done in Turkey does not impact on his options, and maybe my bringing up of dental tourism was ill advised, however when you have seen as mush of this stuff as me you would know exactly what the real problems are here for the OP, cant pretend that a debonded bridge is a good thing.

OP let us know how you get on. Dont put chemist stuff in the bridge, it just makes it hard to recement, and is for filling cavities not recementing fixed bridges. Do either of the bridges in the attached picture look like your bridge

RobbingBandit

looks a little like the top on is that style, I will post an image later if I get a chance, Smiles had no appointments until the end of next week so I will look elsewhere I think.

Mingetoad

Robbing Bandit- is the inside of the metal parts of the bridge (the outside two teeth in the top pic) hollow or does it look like a lump of tooth/filling is attached? The part of tooth left in your mouth that the bridge fits over- is that like a mini-tooth or is it cut off just above the gum line?
FWIW, 8 years is not brilliant for a fixed bridge but it also isn't a disaster. We usually quote anything from 7-15 years depending on the condition of the teeth, gums, general hygiene, future events etc.

filmifan

I had absolutely no idea - until reading this thread just minutes ago - that a bridge could be re-cemented! Did I read that correctly and understand that correctly?

I actually did wonder about whether there is such a thing as re-sealing it (my bridge is quite loose and falling a bit away from the gum, but hasn't fallen out, nor am I in any pain at all) but I didn't ask my dentist about it because I thought he'd laugh at me over it being a dumb question to ask.

The bridge I have is also located on the lower left side. The original bridge work done on it - quite a few years ago, in the US - was very good workmanship, according to my local dentist here, but due to gum disease (hereditary - I've never smoked in my life, always watched my diet, etc.), the bridge is now falling away from the gum.

So...instead of having new bridgework done, or implants or dentures, is there a real possibility of the area first getting cleared/cleaned (by a periodonist, of course) and then - fingers crossed for a yes! - the bridge could actually be re-cemented?

This, to me, would be fantastic and brilliant and amazingly wonderful. I had absolutely no idea this might be an option!

Any advice or suggestions or things I should know before jumping and down with joy would be very much appreciated.