Dental help please

[melanie frontage]

Can anyone tell me roughly how much to expect to pay privately for a replacement bridge. I lost a front upper tooth about seven years ago and the bridge made on the nhs is now becoming useless and won't stay fixed because my mouth has changed.

To be honest I have never been completely comfortable with it as it has sharp edges and these seem to be getting worse as time goes by. It looks and feels horrible and I must get something done about it. Would I get a better bridge if it was done privately?

[Toothsmith]

Do you mean bridge or denture?

Bridge is attached to teeth and doesn't come out, denture is a removable plate.

Yes - you should get a much better whatever done privately. As for cost, it can vary considerably depending on the number of units, material, design and waht type of dental practice it is (General, specialist, cosmetic, rural, town or city)

I couldn't begin to guess a price without much more information.

[melanie frontage]

Hi Toothsmith,

It is a (maryland)? bridge and has to be cemented in every few weeks as it will not stay fixed now. It is one upper front tooth. The two teeth that it is fixed to either side of it have moved forwards slightly meaning that it is now a poor fit and I obviously need a replacement. I am really worried that I will pay out a fortune and have something that is just as uncomfortable as what I have now. The bottom edge is really sharp and digs in to my bottom lip!

Don't know what to say about materials etc as the back is obviously some kind of metal. I live in a small town in a rural area.
Could you estimate the minimum amount that it would cost to have it done privately ???

Thanks

[Toothsmith]

At a rough guess, I would say in the order of £2-300.

On my price list it would be £280 for a single tooth with a single attachment - assuming no complicating factors.

You may well find it is better only fixed to one of the teeth.

When they were first invented, it was thought you needed to stick them to a tooth either side of the gap. What tended to happen though was that one attachment or the other would come off first - usually the one furthest back.

Nowadays, they tend to be just fixed to one tooth, and surprisingly, are much more reliable.

[melanie frontage]

Oh thank you Toothsmith, yes one side always comes off before the other, and yes it is the one further back. I was beginning to think that I would have to have an implant which I cannot afford at present, but the situation is really annoying me and it looks horrible.

The only difficult bit now is finding a dentist I can trust to do the job properly.

[Toothsmith]

The good thing about a Maryland is that it hardly damages a tooth at all. Therefore, when finances improve, you can always have the (better) implant option later.