Will an Essix retainer keep my teeth/jaw from shifting after a non molar tooth extraction?

Question

Had a tooth extracted to prep for implant, top jaw between the canine and front tooth. I was given a flipper, but after a few months id lost it and didnt want to buy another. Dental surgeon recommended an Essix bridge as a cheap alternative. My regular dentist couldnt make an Essix bridge, so put a temporary crown in by bonding it to teeth on either side. Im now more worried about teeth/jaw shifting than cost, want to get an Essix bridge but do they keep teeth/jaw from shifting like a flipper?

Amber Garcia, DDS · Answer

As long as you have something in the space touching each tooth, the space will remain the same. The one issue you can run into is the roots of the teeth trying to tip into the empty space, in which case you would need braces to upright the roots. That takes some time to happen, so get your implant as soon as you can.

Hisham Kaloti, DDS (retired) · Answer

a bonded tooth will help keep the teeth from shifting, so will an Essex bridge. Both are good temporary measures to hold things in place until you’re ready for your dental implant. They will serve “like a flipper”.
I would recommend monitoring the area and if you start noticing shifting with the bonded tooth, you can still have an Essex retainer instead of an Essex bridge placed over the bonded tooth for extra retention. Primarily to be worn at night (without the bridge part)
Eventually an implant will take care of all of your worries :)

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Will an Essix retainer keep my teeth/jaw from shifting after a non molar tooth extraction?

Answers (2)

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