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Maryland Bridge Replacement

G

Guest

Former Member
Hi there
I have had a Maryland bridge for 15 years or so, and although it has held together well, I have never liked the way it looks. The metal used to connect the false tooth to the existing teeth shows through my (rather thin) front tooth, making it look bluish. What alternatives are there besides a traditional fixed bridge? Is there anything new out there, perhaps a Maryland-type bridge that is affixed to the existing teeth with porcelain or some other substance? BTW, my insurance will not cover implants, so that's not an option right now. Thanks.
 
You could always start saving for an implant...

I don't mean to sound flippant, but that's likely to be the most effective long term treatment.
All porcelain adhesive bridges are still relatively new and we don't know how well they will hold up in the long term. We do know that implant success rates are extremely high.
 
Thank you for the information. I see the dentist Friday...hope to have a smile I will actually like in a few months. :)
 
Rebecca,
I have the exact same problem that you do and have been researching this for about a year now. I've gone to a few different dentists and they all have differing opinions.

I've had a Maryland bridge for about 12 years now and I'm afraid that it may be difficult for the dentist to remove it without damaging the "adjacent" teeth. How long have you had your bridge on for? I'm also concerned that if I go with the implant, the back of the "adjacent" teeth may be susceptible to decay as they were prepped prior to the placement of my bridge. My teeth also appear bluish right now and I hope that it is not permanent...I realize that it's the metal backing that is causing the bluish appearance, but I think some cement may have also seeped in through the dentin...so even if I remove the bridge my teeth may still have a bluish appearance.
If you don't mind please let me know what you decide to do. Thanks

Lina
 
The backs of the supporting teeth should have had only minimal preparation for the bridge, so they ought not to be any more susceptible to decay than previously. If they are heavily prepared then a sort of 'reverse' veneer is possible to correct this.
The bluish colour is just the metal, the cement is transluscent white coloured normally.
 
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