[aesthetic]

had a bridge fail and needed to remove one of the teeth. have a temporary flipper in place. scheduled front tooth for extraction also, after deliberating. it is/was a good tooth (right next to front teeth). it was sheared off at gum line.
dentist said it could probably be built up and capped and have a root canal.
I don't know why it would need a root canal. I don't want a root canal, but my question is...is it possible to keep the tooth and just cap it off there at the gum line...not to used to chew, just to keep its place. a partial on that side would cover it

[aesthetic]

or I guess maybe I meant...drill it a little and fill it a little so it is protected. the reason I ask is because the bridge spanned 4 teeth including the posts and I see I am losing facial structure.

[Bryanna]

aesthetic,

When a tooth has broken off to the gum line, the pulp chamber in that tooth is damaged beyond repair. If the tooth is already dead, you will not experience pain in this tooth until it becomes abscessed or loose. It is important for you to know that due to the irreversible damage, this tooth is on its way to becoming abscessed. Root canaling this tooth will not fix the problem permanently as the tooth will remain chronically infected and it will still abscess. Just restoring this tooth with a large filling or a crown will not fix the problem either and for the same reasons. It is irrelevant as to whether you use this tooth or not to chew with because it is the tooth itself that is infected and damaged beyond repair.

It is advantageous to you to have this tooth removed sooner than later and not wait until it abscesses because the infection can migrate to other areas and even into your sinus. So it is best to remove it before that happens.

The contour of your face in that area may change a little bit if there are no teeth there to hold the facial muscles in place in that area. Infection and the loss of teeth also result in some bone loss which also contributes to the change of appearance. It is ideal to have the infected teeth removed and have a new bridge made using your healthy teeth.. or place dental implants in the areas of extracted teeth so long as the bone is healthy and adequate enough to receive them... or wear a partial denture to help maintain the initial integrity of your muscle structure in that area.

Bryanna

Originally Posted by aesthetic

or I guess maybe I meant...drill it a little and fill it a little so it is protected. the reason I ask is because the bridge spanned 4 teeth including the posts and I see I am losing facial structure.

[aesthetic]

You explain things well. Simple. Laid out...if a person just wants to listen. Thank you.