Is gold bridge the best option at my age of 71?
Q. I experience a pain in my mouth where I have had a porcelan bridge for over 10 years. The dentist says I have a crack in the crown and that causes the pain when I bite down. He wants to replace the bridge with a gold bridge. After the insurance pays half of the cost I am still going to pay around $1500 for the gold bridge. I assume he intends to replace the existing crowns with gold crowns. I’m 71 I probably won’t be around for 10 years. I have a heart failure condition (stage I) and prostate cancer which is gowing very slowly. He says he strongly recommends gold because it will last a long time. The bridge I have now has lasted me over 20 years! I don’t get it. Why shouldn’t I get the same type of bridge I have now? How much cheaper would porcelan be. The gold is costing $3,000 (before 50% insurance is deducted) With the price of gold these days, it’s no wonder. If I were a dentist in this situation , I’d recommend the same bridge I have now, wouldn’t you? Please give me your comments
A. The cost of bridge work is predominately in the thechniques and the skill involved adn not so much in the material. In fact a gold bridge is quicker to make than a porcelain fused to metal bridge. It is quite possible that theis second type of bridge will be more expensive. It really comes down to your prefernce unless your teeth have become heavlily worn due to age or /and grinding problems. If this is the case a gold bridge is the best option for strength.
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