Maryland Bridge for a Temporary Tooth Replacement
Posted by Annmarie SanSevero
My daughter is congenitally missing her left lateral incisor. We have removed her baby tooth and done orthodontics to get all of her teeth in the right place. Our plan is to eventually replace this tooth with a dental implant. I know that I need a temporary tooth in there to hold the place open. Her pediatric dentist used a Maryland Bridge in order to put a temporary tooth there. Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of trouble keeping the Maryland Bridge in. It’s fallen out twice already. She thought it was the cement after the first time and tried a stronger cement, but that didn’t help. Now she’s thinking maybe she needs to switch from the ceramic wings to the metal wings. My concern is that the metal wings will show through or damage her teeth. What do you think?
Sandra
Dear Sandra,
I’m glad you wrote. First, I want to assure you that a dental implant is the best tooth replacement you could get her, once her jaw is fully developed. I feel like your daughter’s pediatric dentist is well intentioned. I just think that she doesn’t understand how these procedures work. The first thing I would say is that a Maryland Bridge is not a temporary tooth replacement. One of the reasons that she is having trouble keeping it in is because she doesn’t understand how they are placed.
It is not simply a matter of bonding the wings of the bridge to your adjacent teeth. Some tooth preparation is required. If you look at the image above you see that a notch has to be cut into the teeth in order to secure the bridge. Anytime you have to alter tooth structure, than that is not a temporary replacement. Once she is ready to get a dental implant and she removes the Maryland Bridge, that notch will still have to be filled in with a dental bonding material.
I would not recommend the metal wings for a few reasons. First, you would still need the notch, which damages her adjacent teeth.Second, the metal will show through and stain her teeth. Finally, as I mentioned before this is not a temporary tooth replacement. Your daughter would be better off having a dental flipper placed. It will keep the space open until she is ready for a dental implant.
When it comes time to place her dental implant, you want to make certain that you chose your dentist carefully. You want someone who has post-doctoral training in dental implants. You also want someone who is an expert cosmetic dentist. A lateral incisor is very visible when you smile. You want a dentist who can ensure that it both looks natural and blends in with her adjacent teeth.
This blog is brought to you by Franklin, TN Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Christopher Weber.
