Can a Maryland Bridge Be Attached to Two Implant Crowns?
I have two dental implants, both on back molars. Until recently, the tooth before them was healthy. Now that one needs to be extracted. Would it be possible for me to place a Maryland bridge between the two implant crowns?
Dave
Dear Dave,
While technically you can use a Maryland bridge between the two implants, I would not recommend that option. First, to properly place a Maryland bridge your dentist would have to cut grooves into the crown, as shown above. Second, the best bond you can get is when you affix the wings to natural tooth enamel. The bond to the porcelain will not be as strong. I do not think that your bridge will hold long.
So, what do you do? Ideally, your dentist would have anticipated that you could lose the tooth between the two implants you already have. Then he would have aligned the implants in a way where you could unscrew the two adjacent dental crowns and affix a traditional bridge to the two implants. If that is not possible, then I would see if you can get an additional dental implant in the spot. If you’ve only recently lost that tooth, then there should still be enough space to fit another implant.
There are other options if that doesn’t work, such as a removable partial denture or even a dental flipper. Obviously, though, the ideal will be the implant, so start with those options. Either way you do need to replace the tooth with something. If you don’t it will throw off your bite. In addition to jaw pain, headaches and bite problems, you could end up with TMJ Disorder.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
MAC Veneers or Lumineers?
I had an accident which damaged the appearance of some of my teeth. In preparation for fixing this, I’ve whitened them. Now I want to get porcelain veneers. My dentist said that MAC veneers are the strongest but Lumineers means no grinding of my teeth. I’m having a hard time deciding. Are there pros and cons to each of these?
Margaret
Dear Margaret,
I am glad that you wrote. I can tell you are trying very hard to do some research and make a wise decision. It was wise of you to get your teeth whitening done first. As for the veneers, I would like to gently suggest you shift the way you look at this. Cosmetic dentistry is not just a procedure, it is also an art form. As an analogy, let’s compare this to a painting. If you were trying to commission a beautiful work of art, would you focus on the brand of paint or on getting the right artist? Well, the artist, of course!
What you want to focus on for your smile makeover is the artistic skill and training of the dentist. While in the hands of a skilled cosmetic dentist, MAC Veneers can look stunning, but if the dentist isn’t skilled, they could end up looking awful. I am a bit concerned about your dentist’s second recommendation.
Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers which are highly marketed to in experienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. Unfortunately, unless the dentist is highly skilled they end up looking quite bulky. Some disappointed patients have even gone so far as to call them horse teeth. Most skilled cosmetic dentists don’t like this brand because the lab that they require dentists to use is not known for producing beautiful results.
What you want to do is make sure you use a skilled, artistic dentist to do your smile makeover and let them pick the brand. If they’ve done adequate post-doctoral training, then they will know the pros and cons of each brand. Then, depending on what type of smile you were looking toward, they would know which brand can best get those results.
I would start by asking the dentist what type of post-doctoral training they have in creating beautiful smile makeovers. This is not adequately taught in dental school. Then, take the additional precaution of checking out their smile gallery. If they do not have a smile gallery, then I would not consider them a serious cosmetic dentist. If they do, make sure you love the results they get before you move forward with anything.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.