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Dentistry/Maryland Bridge Question
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Question
My wife's Maryland Bridge (for one tooth) fell out recently. Todays Dentists seem to not practice this procedure for a variety of reasons & offer alternative procedures. One subsitution is where the tops of the two teeth, which are adjacent to the missing tooth are broken, & are replaced with tabs to hold in the new bridge. She refuses to take this option because she is afraid that it could do unforseen damage to the two neighboring teeth over time. The other opiton, a porcelain veneer bridge, she was given, she is more keen about but has one hesitation: Her one reservation is that she has had procelain fillings back in the early or mid-90s, which eroded quickly, and she ended up having a root canal in order to fix the problem. Would she experience a similar misfortune with the porcelain veneer bridge or is this procelain made of stronger materials. She was told by one dentist recently that this porcelain was probably a porcelain subsitute. Are there any other options to a Maryland Bridge and what are their pros & cons? Also, what would the average rates be for these procedures? She is also unsure of cosmetic dentistry. Would it be more beneficial to go to a cosmetic dentist over a general dentist to have these procedures done?
I hope you don't mind that I asked more than one dentist this question in a Socratic fashion. I plan to compare the best answers for the best possible conclusion.
Dear Alexander: First, if the bridge is ok, other than it comes out, there are now far better, more adhesive, less soluble cements, which might hold on longer and solve her problem without any further treatment. She might opt for an implant and crown to fill the space. This would replace the missing root and tooth without depending on the adjacent teeth. Most of my bridgework is done with porcelain glazed over thin metal castings for strength. Beautiful and sturdy, but requires adjacent teeth to be prepared for crowns. A removable partial might also be made, but this would be more hardware around more teeth, and would be, as its name infers, removable, sometimes a problem in itself. dd
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Answers by Expert:
- Joel S. Teig, DMD, Diplomate ABOMS, retired
- Dr. Randolph Myerson
- Gary Backlund, DMD, MSD
- Howard Finnk, D.D.S., P.A., CEO
- Tony Appleton BDS DPDS
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- Jeff Dalin DDS
- Luis Granados DDS MS ESP.
- Zev Kaufman, D.D.S.
- Frederick R. Liewehr DDS, MS, FICD
- Stephen J. Moss
- Crystal Baxter DMD< MDS
- Lawrence Spindel DDS, www.lspindeldds.com
- Dr Craig Peck ( B.Med.Sc., B.Ch.D., M.Sc., Clin. Botox, Cosmet. Derm.)
- Benjamin Schwartz, DDS FAGD
- Susan Tannenbam
- Joseph Zelig, DDS, D.ABP www.smileinthecity.com
- Dr.Mike Glasmeier
- Larry Burnett DDS
- Ketan Amin, DMD
- Dr. Madhvendra T. Singh
- Simarjit kalra
- dr mayank kaurani BDS, MDS
- Mohamed Elsafi, DDS, MS, FACP
- Lawrence Gold
- Veselin Shumantov DDS
Howard Finnk, D.D.S., P.A., CEO
Expertise
I am a Family, Implant and Cosmetic dentist. I will answer questions on any aspect of dentistry and matters relating to the smile, gums, jaws and lower face. Member American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, Broward County Dental Association, and Atlantic Coast District Dental Association. I have served as District Council Member of Alpha Omega, as well as serving for one term as its President. I am also a member of The Vedder Honors Society, Broward Dental Research Clinic, and Mount Sinai Hospital Guild. I have served as a Volunteer for Project Dental Health and The Tri-County Dental Health Council.
Experience
Having attained over 30 years of clinical experience in private practice in Michigan, in 2001 I was re-certified by taking and passing the Florida State Dental Board Examination. After moving to Florida, I spent nearly 10 years re-honing my skills while working as an Associate Dentist for several large dental groups. In September, 2004, I was appointed Adjunct Clinical Professor at Nova University's College of Dental Medicine. I am certified in placement of Mini Dental Implants, and I am Director of The Florida Implant Center (floridaimplantcenter.com). On March 1, 2010, at the age of 62, I began all over again by buying a dental practice near my home in the Fort Lauderdale area. As sole owner and Chief Dental Officer of the new Nob Hill Dental Center (nobhilldentalcenter.com), I can now carefully provide dental care to patients who care, all within a caring, joyful environment. Over my career lifetime, I have provided thousands of diagnoses, fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, periodontal treatments, TMJ therapies, partials, dentures and extractions, and dozens of implants for my patients. The only aspect of dentistry with which I have very little experience is orthodontics.
Organizations
American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, Broward County Dental Association, Atlantic Coast District Dental Society, Vedder Honors Society, Broward Dental Research Clinic, Alpha Omega Alumni Association, and American Association of Dental Implantologists. Formerly, American Academy of General Dentistry, Michigan Dental Association, Macomb Dental Society, Detroit District Dental Society, Tri-County Dental Health Council (a charitable dental care organization)
Publications
"How To Save Money At The Dentist" Going to press soon.
Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Psychology from Wayne State University
Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of Detroit College of Dentistry
Adjunct Clinical Professor, Special Needs Department, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Awards and Honors
Membership in The Vedder Honors Society
Past/Present Clients
HIPAA rules do not allow me to post this information.
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