If your Maryland bridge keeps falling off, it can be frustrating and concerning. While these bridges can be effective in certain situations, they should not repeatedly detach within a short period of time. When this happens, it often indicates that something went wrong during the bonding procedure or treatment planning.
Lindsey
Dear Lindsey,
Your gut feeling is correct. Your dentist seems to be in over his head. A Maryland Bridge is composed of a false tooth suspended between two metal wings. The wings are etched, and the backs of the adjacent teeth are etched, and then a bonding composite is sandwiched between the wings and the tooth. The fact that it keeps coming off means one of these things were done incorrectly.
There are a few things which bother me about this. First is the fact that he used a Maryland Bridge as a “temporary” replacement to begin with. It’s not temporary because it causes a permanent change in your adjacent teeth. He should have chosen a true temporary replacement.
Second, he can’t seem to do the bonding correctly. There’s a flaw in one of the parts of the procedures and he can’t figure out which one.
Finally, placing dental implants is a much more advanced procedure than the bridge. Not only that, but the consequences for getting it wrong are more severe. You can lose part of your jaw due to infection. You could end up without teeth. One woman had such a disastrous encounter with a supposed dentist in Colorado she ended up losing 70 pounds and is confined to a wheelchair.
Finding a Qualified Implant Dentist
Placing dental implants requires extensive post-doctoral training. You’ll want someone who has invested the time necessary. Take a look at Dr. Thein’s qualifications to get an idea of what you’re looking for in your implant dentist. You’ll also want to ask them about their experience and success rate. It needs to be at least 98%.
Getting a Beautiful Smile with Dental Implants
I’m a big believer in making something good come out of bad situations. You may want to consider using this as a chance to get a mini smile makeover. You could whiten your teeth before having your implant crowns made. Then the crowns can be made to match the new white color. That’s not by any means required. It’s just a way to give yourself a treat.
This blog is brought to you by Glendale, CA Implant Dentist Dr. Robert Thein.