Maryland Bridge Before an Implant Crown?
Posted by writeradmin
My daughter has a congenitally missing lateral incisor. We’ve finished orthodontics and plan to eventually get her a dental implant to replace it. She’s too young for one right now. Our dentist suggested that we get her a Maryland Bridge as a temporary tooth replacement until she is old enough. The problem is the Maryland Bridge just won’t stay on. She’s tried different cements but that didn’t work. We were using ceramic wings. The dentist thinks that may be the problem. So now she’s thinking about giving her metal wings. I’m a bit worried. It will be about five years before she can get a dental implant. I have some questions that have me worried. Will the metal wings adhere that long? Will they damage the adjacent teeth that they are being attached to? Will people be able to see the metal behind her teeth?
Carol
Dear Carol,
I’m glad you wrote. First, let me say that I am glad you picked a dental implant for her permanent tooth replacement. It is the best tooth replacement you can get her.
I am not sure why your dentist recommended a Maryland Bridge for your daughter. One of the reasons that your daughter’s Maryland Bridge is not staying on because cement isn’t enough for this type of tooth replacement. There actually needs to be a bit of a notch made into the tooth, like you see in the image above. Because of that, I would not consider it a temporary tooth replacement. Once she is old enough and your remove the Maryland Bridge, that notch will have to be filled in with dental bonding material. So, yes, it will damage the tooth.
I would not let her do the metal wings. They will not stay any better without the notch we talked about and they will stain her adjacent teeth.
Instead, I’m going to suggest that you get her a dental flipper. This will hold the space open, it is much less expensive than what your dentist is currently using, and it will not damage her tooth in any way. Then, once she is old enough for a dental implant, you can replace her tooth permanently.
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