What is a Maryland Bridge?

Dental bridges savage mn are a great way to replace a missing tooth! They are considerably less invasive than dental implants and can be completed in just a couple of visits to your dental office. Even if you are missing more than one tooth, they can be made with multiple fake teeth spanning between two healthy teeth. Filling the space left by missing teeth is important and helps maintain the integrity of the teeth next to the space. Left untreated, healthy teeth can shift into the open space and cause bone loss and loose teeth. There are a few different types of dental bridges and in this section, we are going to focus on the Maryland Bridge.

What is a Maryland bridge?

A Maryland bridge still uses healthy, abutting upon which to affix the pontic (fake tooth) but instead of prepping those abutting teeth and fitting them with crowns, a metal “wing” is cemented onto the backside of those teeth to hold the pontic in place.

A metal framework is fabricated with a pontic made using porcelain fused to metal, which is baked onto the front, giving the appearance of a little tooth with metal wings. Once the wings are bonded onto the supporting teeth, your smile is restored! A Maryland bridge will not be the best option for posterior teeth since they take more abuse when we chew but on the anterior teeth, they can be a nice solution.

Cons to a Maryland Bridge

While a Maryland bridge can be a good option for some patients, there are some aesthetic concerns that you may run into. The metal used to construct the bridge can give a different appearance than that of a fully-porcelain bridge. Natural teeth have a translucency that may not be achieved with the porcelain and metal fabrication of the bridge. The pontic will appear more solidly colored and the wings could potentially give the supporting teeth a darker appearance, making the pontic stand out in turn.

This type of bridge is also considerably less stable than a full, porcelain bridge that uses crowns on the supporting teeth. There are other materials that can be used to bring a more aesthetically pleasing end result. This is something that you will want to discuss with your Dentist before proceeding with treatment.

Any dental bridge is going to require that you up your oral hygiene game. A Maryland bridge will be easier to clean and floss around and under so that is another thing to consider. Not everyone is a candidate for a Maryland bridge but your Dentist can help you decide what is best for your individual case. To protect your new restoration, you should consider getting a nightguard. This will alleviate any clenching or grinding you may do in your sleep which can be particularly rough on dental work. Speak with your Dentist to see if a Maryland bridge is right for you.

More on Dental Bridges : Non Implant Tooth Replacement Options