Maryland Bridge Before Dental Implants Problems
Posted by writeradmin
I am getting a dental implant. I needed a temporary tooth replacement while I waited on something called bone integration. In the meantime he gave me a Maryland Bridge. Unfortunately, we can’t keep the stupid thing in. It’s fallen out three different times. After the second time, he decided to try a different bonding cement, but that didn’t help. Now he’s talking about using metal wings instead of the ceramic ones he’s been using. Will that actually make a difference? If it stays on, will the metal stain my teeth?
Warren
Dear Warren,
I have serious concerns about how this is being handled. It sounds more like that your dentist does not understand what they are doing when it comes to a Maryland Bridge. That also makes me worry about his ability with a dental implant, which is a much more advanced dental procedure.
I haven’t examined you, but my guess about why he is having trouble with the Maryland Bridge is that he does not understand the bonding procedure. You don’t just use cement to bond on a Maryland Bridge. In order for it to be truly secure, your dentist would need to add a notch into the tooth. Anything that changes the structure of a tooth is not a temporary tooth replacement. Once the Bridge is removed for the permanent dental crown, then you would need to fill in the notches in your teeth with a composite bonding.
Hopefully, they didn’t do the notch part and that is why the bridge keeps falling off. Don’t let him add one. Instead, get a dental flipper. This is an actual temporary tooth replacement. It will require no change of tooth structure. After the bone has integrated with the dental implant, you can simply remove the flipper yourself and then your dentist can finish the procedure.
As for getting metal wings, don’t let him do that. It will damage your tooth. My other concern is that if he can’t do a Maryland Bridge properly, are you sure that he can handle something much more advanced, such as a dental implant. The complications from a dental implant gone wrong can become much more serious than other procedures. You will want to make sure they have the training and experience to do the job properly. The best implant dentists are fellows with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
This blog is brought to you by Mt. Dora Dentist Dr. Michelle Stillman.