I Am Considering A Maryland Bridge, How Long Do They Last With Good Oral Hygiene?

Q.
Hi Marcus. I am considering having a Maryland Bridge put in because I hate wearing the flipper and I don’t want to wait a year for an implant. Is it true that the Maryland Bridge can cause my teeth to darken? How long can the Maryland bridge last with good oral hygiene?
I have already had the initial extraction and grafting done by an oral surgeon. I am now wearing the flipper but don’t like it. Hard to eat with and not easy to talk as I do lectures and training. Would the MB be a wise choice for me?
A.
Hello and thank you for your question. Firstly, if you opted to have an implant and have already had grafting done in preparation, then the total treatment time should be no longer than 3 months. However of you are opting to delay your implant treatment and want to get rid of your partial denture, then a Maryland or Resin Bonded Bridge is an excellent short to medium term solution.

By its design, a Maryland Bridge is bonded in place by wings that wrap around the adjacent teeth. If these wings are made of metal, which they frequently are, then the greyness of the metal behind the tooth can darken it. However this can now be overcome by using ceramic wings.

The advantage of the Maryland bridge is that it can often be fitted without any tooth preparation, making it a very conservative treatment option, and unlike a partial denture (flipper) it is fixed in place and does not need to be removed for cleaning. The only disadvantage of this type of bridge is that it can de-bond at any time, but should be sound in the short to medium term.

I hope this is helpful. Kind regards, Marcus.

Dr Marcus Gambroudes Changing Faces Dentistry & Facial Rejuvenation, 51 Station Road Knowle House Knowle Solihull B93 0HN Web: www.changingfacesandsmiles.co.uk Tel: 01564 320 024 View My Profile Dr Gambroudes

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