I’ve had two dental crowns for many years that are old and need replacing. I’ve decided to go with dental implants this time because some decay got underneath the gums. He quoted me a little over 9k for both extractions, bone grafting, implants, and crowns. I’ve had the extractions and bone grafting done. After the bone grafting, he placed two Maryland Bridges for me as temporary placements until the time that I have my permanent teeth. Unfortunately, the Maryland Bridges have fallen off four times already, and it has not even been a month yet. This is giving me some doubt as to whether or not this dentist has the cosmetic skills to do this right. Should I switch to a cosmetic dentist for this?
Parker
Dear Parker,
I agree that you have cause to be concerned and not just about the cosmetic aspect of this. Let’s start with this whole Maryland Bridge idea your dentist has. This is not a good temporary replacement. First, in order to bond properly, the structure of the tooth has to be adjusted. Anything that changes the structure of your teeth is not temporary. Second, he doesn’t seem to understand the bonding principles behind this. Bonding is not nearly as advanced as a dental implant procedure. Neither dental implants nor cosmetic dentistry are recognized specialty. In addition, they are not adequately taught in dental school.
I would search for another dentist before getting these implant placed. Look on their website for post doctoral training in dental implants. Then, look at their smile gallery to see what type of results they get. If you like them, you will be okay with the implant crown they make. Your dentist is under an ethical obligationt o provide your new dentist with all your case notes, including the diagnostic results.
On a separate note, the better temporary tooth replacement is a dental flipper. This won’t change any tooth structure and it is significantly cheaper.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
