My daughter is missing a lateral incisor that never came in. We started by getting her braces to get all the teeth into their proper position. We want to hold the spot open with a temporary tooth replacement, with the intention of getting her a dental implant when she is old enough. Our dentist is using a Maryland Bridge, but is having trouble keeping it on. She currently has some with ceramic wings to blend in with her teeth more. When it fell off the first time, she tried a different cement but that didn’t work either. Now she is thinking about using metal wings. Here are my questions:
- Will metal wings bond better than the ceramic wings?
- Will there be any cosmetic issues such has her tooth being stained or darker?
- Will there be any damage to the tooth?
Catherine
Dear Catherine,
Maryland Bridge
I’m glad you wrote. I’m going to answer your questions right away but read on because there is something even more important going on here.
- Will metal wings bond better than ceramic wings? Nope. The bond between natural tooth structure is much more sound with ceramic wings than with metal wings, so that will not improve her potential outcome.
- Will there be any cosmetic issues? Yes. The metal will definitely stain her teeth which will make them look darker.
- Will there be any damage? Yes. This is because when you properly bond on a Maryland Bridge it is necessary to cut a notch in the supporting teeth. This is a permanent notch. This means when the bridge is removed, that notch will be in her teeth making them susceptible to decay. They will need to be filled with cosmetic bonding.
She obviously does not understand the bonding procedure for these. This concerns me. Dental implants are more advanced than the bridge. If she can’t do this, I would recommend that you look elsewhere to have your daughter’s dental implant done.
Finally, I am going to suggest you forego the Maryland Bridge altogether. There is a much less expensive option that does not cause any change in structure to the tooth. My suggestion is you get a dental flipper.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.
