Tooth bridge not as expected

dontlikemondays

Hi,

I recently had a bridge to replace a missing tooth.
The missing tooth replacement was fine but the one next to it now looks grey and pointy. It wasn't grey or pointy before so I'm rather confused as to how this could this have happened. I presume it's covered somehow and maybe it's this covering that is grey, but I'm not sure.

There was no drilling or filing involved, just glue.

Should I re-contact dentist and complain?

Toothsmith

Sounds like an adhesive Maryland type bridge.

Because there is a metal wing that sticks behind the supporting tooth, it does affect how the light shines through that tooth, and can often make them look a little greyer - as you describe.

It wouldn't do anything to alter the shape - so if that is the case, it's either that the shape looks different because the colour change has made something that was there already more noticeable - or something has happened that I can't explain without seeing you! But you can't actually change the shape of a tooth if no drilling took place!

As for what to do about it - this is pretty much the nature of that type of bridge. BUt - the dentist should have warned you that this effect was likely.

All ways of replacing teeth have pluses and minuses - from denture to implant.

It might be an idea just to contact the dentist and talk this through with him - but I wouldn't go in 'all guns blazing'!

How much of a problem is it? Is it a very visible tooth? Have other people noticed? Without you asking them?

dontlikemondays

Thanks for your reply. It,s next to the front big ones, and yes, it's very noticeable, especially as the new false one next to it is a lot whiter.
If he had cemented the wing to the tooth the other side I would be happier as that one as a silver filling and would have been about the same.

I will ask him if he can do that I think.

Will that be much problem for him?

brook2jack

He will have to get the old bridge off, take new impressions, send those to the laboratory to get a new bridge made, pay the lab for a new bridge, if he is NHS this will make the treatment a big financial loss for him. If it's a private bridge the cost of remaking a certain percentage of work will be factored into what you were charged so it should be got right.

Bridges are custom made precision appliances the whole thing needs remaking if you want it glued to another tooth.

dontlikemondays

Had a chat today.
He agreed that it was grey and that he should have mentioned it.

He removed the wing and opaque adhesive and now I just have the false tooth connected to the other tooth.
Grey gone, but obviously he can't guarantee bridge will stay put.
And the underside of what was the grey tooth now decidedly rough.
Not too impressed I must say.

And like I said to him, why can't the wing of the bridge be white?
Wouldn't that solve the whole problem?

He said that's just how it is, but why can't it change.
Don't really understand.
£230 for a false tooth connected to one other.
May as well had a false one in first place for £50ish

Toothsmith

Being white wouldn't solve the problem, as it would still block the light transmitting through the tooth, which would still make it look dark. Plus - that would have to be a very fancy, expensive, ceramic.

Being clear might, but a clear material strong enough to support a Maryland and thin enough to make it minimal preparation doesn't exist!

I usually do Marylands only connected to one tooth nowadays anyway. It used to be thought a wing either side was best - but it was found that one of them always came detached anyway! It's to do with how the forces are at slightly different angles on different teeth - the overall effect being that one of the wings gets popped off after time.