More confused than ever: What is this, please?

[Dawn65]

I know I've been spinning in circles over my denture options and you're probably sick of me by now - wouldn't blame you!

We established that since implants and bridges (if that's the right words for where they start shaving bit off your other teeth) are out of the question for me, I need a denture option I can tolerate before I go completely loopy. And of all the denture options, those flexi thingies that fit between your teeth without plates are looking like the best solution todate for me (though I'd like them in non-tooth colour). I am quite prepared to pay for them as I know the NHS doesn't do them.. You've moreover advised me that I need a prescription and a referral from my special care dentist to someone who can do it...

So, that's what I'm trying VERY hard to get. I've written to her between appointments to ask about this. Now admittedly I melt down and don't absorb much information when I'm there (for which reason I take my husband), but we really aren't understanding the answer. She didn't give me the prescription or referral or otherwise enlighten us much about how to get them. Instead, she gave my husband this picture and said something about them being NHS, being permanently in place and being possible just maybe before Christmas.

Thing is, I don't understand what they are. Is this a bridge? Does it involve doing stuff to my other teeth? Lovely as "permanently in place" sounds, she knows I CANNOT get through any other work to the adjacent teeth? I'm already a basket case of what has been done and the upcoming cleaning.

Or, is it some version of a flexi thingy that isn't permanent? Or is it something else altogether?

I don't have another appointment with her before the end of August and doing something about this for the sake of my sanity, (no joke, I could crack altogether before then!), and I have to get something moving fast.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jadon77]

Looks like a maryland bridge. The two "wings" are glue on the back between the missing tooth with a false tooth in it. It isn't common anymore with implants today.

 

[Judythecat]

NOT a dentist, but it looks like false teeth which are bonded onto the neighbouring natural teeth. The ones in the photos appear to be front teeth.

Is it a bridge? I thought a bridge was something a bit more sophisticated than what’s pictured, based on how much they cost, but I have never seen one. I think bridges tend not to be available on the NHS other than for front teeth, but could be wrong. (My friend has one for an upper molar and she had to pay £££ privately although she is an NHS patient.)

Could your husband ring and ask for clarification? A treatment has been recommended for my wife, but we are not sure of the name of it?

 

[Judythecat]

https://www.athens-dental.com/en/project/maryland-bridge/

Actually, I think Jadon is right. I image searched then got this article from one of the images.

 

[Dawn65]

Looks like a maryland bridge. The two "wings" are glue on the back between the missing tooth with a false tooth in it. It isn't common anymore with implants today.

Is that permanent? IE you just brush your teeth as normal and forget it? Does it involve doing anything to the teeth?

 

[Dawn65]

NOT a dentist, but it looks like false teeth which are bonded onto the neighbouring natural teeth. The ones in the photos appear to be front teeth.

Is it a bridge? I thought a bridge was something a bit more sophisticated than what’s pictured, based on how much they cost, but I have never seen one. I think bridges tend not to be available on the NHS other than for front teeth, but could be wrong. (My friend has one for an upper molar and she had to pay £££ privately although she is an NHS patient.)

Could your husband ring and ask for clarification? A treatment has been recommended for my wife, but we are not sure of the name of it?

I have written to the dentist....? Didn't really get an answer to the question I was really asking last time. Hoping she'll clarify with something I understand this time. But not sure she gets what I'm really asking, which is: how do I get these flexi thingies and can I get them in a non-tooth colour?

 

[Enarete]

I know I've been spinning in circles over my denture options and you're probably sick of me by now - wouldn't blame you! ]

This forum is here to help, nobody here will be sick of you, no matter how much you post or vent or worry ? I can see a huge shift in how you go about the dentures and options and it‘s lovely to see that.

I don’t know any details about how a Maryland bridge is fitted, hope you get a reply from a dentist soon. And yes, this is the part of the forum where our lovely forum dentists reply in their spare time, but it‘s still also open for ‚normal‘ people

 

[Gordon]

That's a type of Maryland bridge, they're basically glued onto the teeth next to the gap.
They are very successful if done with careful case selection, I've done some which have lasted going on 25 years in use now.

The NHS will supply them, you should be able to get a different coloured "false" tooth if you really wanted one.

What happened to the photo of your plaster casts btw?

 

[Dawn65]

Thanks for not being sick of me guys. Believe me, I'm literally sick of myself LOL

 

[Dawn65]

That's a type of Maryland bridge, they're basically glued onto the teeth next to the gap.
They are very successful if done with careful case selection, I've done some which have lasted going on 25 years in use now.

The NHS will supply them, you should be able to get a different coloured "false" tooth if you really wanted one.

What happened to the photo of your plaster casts btw?

Thank you for giving this a name. It does make sense now. As long as she's not doing anything to the other teeth, they might be the best option in the long run.

Of course, it isn't guaranteed that she can even do this, I don't have another appointment until late August, so I do have to meanwhile preserver with the denture option.

I STILL can't get those plates in my mouth for more than a second or two. She did explain to my husband which way round the plates are supposed to go, so at least he gets it now.

He hadn't taken the photo. I've had to do it myself - not easy. I'll attach to separate reply below, so I can avoid looking at it any more than I have to.

 

[Dawn65]

That's a type of Maryland bridge, they're basically glued onto the teeth next to the gap.
They are very successful if done with careful case selection, I've done some which have lasted going on 25 years in use now.

The NHS will supply them, you should be able to get a different coloured "false" tooth if you really wanted one.

What happened to the photo of your plaster casts btw?

 

[Dawn65]

This forum is here to help, nobody here will be sick of you, no matter how much you post or vent or worry ? I can see a huge shift in how you go about the dentures and options and it‘s lovely to see that.

I don’t know any details about how a Maryland bridge is fitted, hope you get a reply from a dentist soon. And yes, this is the part of the forum where our lovely forum dentists reply in their spare time, but it‘s still also open for ‚normal‘ people

Thank you. Bless you.

I'm am kind of getting to what the answers should be, even if I don't quite understand HOW to get there yet.

Meanwhile, dealing with this really is making me very ill, and that's only getting worse at the moment. Life seems to consist of nothing but this and I'm not seeing a lot of hope it will ever be anything else.

But really, thank you. I think I might already be over the edge but for you guys.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for posting up the cast photos Dawn, very helpful. Bear in mind, I'm only looking at blurry photos of casts and don't have access to x-rays etc so don't take this as absolute gospel!

Having had a look then, Maryland bridges might be doable for the upper jaw at least. Basically you'd have a thin metal "wing" going around the palate side of the molar with a false tooth coming forwards off that to fill in the gap.
I think it would be possible on your lower jaw but can't be certain because the models are broken.
I'm happy to go into details on how Marylands are made for patients if it would be helpful, otherwise I'll save the electrons
No damage is done to the other teeth in the process, the bridges are glued on. NHS will fund them if it's been more than 4 months since the extractions.