I need some advice. My daughter had a congenitally missing tooth. We’ve gotten her braces to move her teeth into the right position. Our plan is to get her a dental implant when she is old enough but we need a temporary tooth replacement in order to hold the spot open until that time. Our dentist suggested a Maryland Bridge. She was using ceramic wings to make it more natural looking for my daughter, but it keeps falling off. Her dentist has tried two different types of bonding cement, but neither has worked. Now she’s thinking of trying the metal wings, but I have some concerns. First, will the metal wings stay any better than the ceramic wings. Second, will the metal wings be visible making her teeth look darker.?
Margie
Dear Margie,
I am glad you wrote. First, the great news. Picking a dental implant for her permanent tooth replacement was a great decision. These are the highest quality tooth replacements around and it will give her a higher quality of life compared to other options.
Now, to answer your questions. I can tell your dentist is trying as evidenced by her trying different bonding materials, but she appears to be out of her depth. As to your first question, will the metal wings stay any better than the ceramic wings? No. In fact, ceramic or porcelain bond better to natural tooth structure than metal will. If she can’t get them to stay with the ceramic wings, the metal wings will have even less success.
Your second question had to do with whether the metal could be visible through her teeth, the answer to that is yes. It is inherently darker and this will impact the appearance of her teeth.
Temporary Restorations Before Dental Implants
The problem your dentist is facing is not the bonding cement or the type of wings, but rather her lack of tooth preparation.
When a tooth is prepared for a dental implant, it will need to have a groove or notch worked into it in order to help secure the wings. In my opinion, a Maryland Bridge is not a temporary replacement. Anything that physically changes the natural tooth structure is not a permanent replacement.
Instead, I am going to recommend that your daughter get a dental flipper. They are not only more affordable, but they will give your daughter the replacement she needs until her jaw is ready for the permanent implant replacement.
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