Dental implant or maryland bridge?

-DeeDee-

Right I am at crossroads at the moment. I have a crown that's hanging on by a piece of metal and I want to know which one would you personally pick if you was in my position.

I was thinking of getting a Maryland bridge on the NHS for £233.70 band 3 treatment . I like how this don't cause damage to the opposite surrounding teeth. The only problem I have with this is I have read they can come out at any given time and only last up to 5 - 10 years if ya lucky.

My next option is the implant and crown which is a much more better long term option. I have seen a deal on Groupon where you can get the implant and crown in my area done for £999

A full cosmetic consultation and dental exam, with x-rays if needed, preludes the fitting of a dental implant with crown or 3-unit bridge

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/arrgen-1-limited-1-5

I am just a bit sceptical on how cheap it is and I know this isn't a easy procedure and if things go wrong it could end up costly. I am not really high on funds, but if the implant is a way better option than I guess I will have to borrow some money to fund it.

Any help much appreciated.

brook2jack

If you go for a Maryland bridge that will give you time to save up for an implant at a known and recommended implantologist.

Marylands are often used as temporaries anyway during the implant process and the advantage of them is as they don't damage the other teeth they can buy you time.

I would never chose any dental treatment purely on the basis of cost and would never get dental treatment done on a groupon deal . There are many people who have been left high and dry when clinics have gone bust as there is just not the profit margins in dentistry to make groupon deals make business sense. The deal does not include temporaries (implants take months to complete and you normally have a Maryland or temporary denture whilst healing takes place) , ct scans or X Ray's, bone augmentation (which may be necessary) which will add to the cost.

brook2jack

Also reading your other thread it is not a good idea to get an implant if your cleaning is not meticulous as you can lose an implant just as easily or easier as your own teeth due to gum disease.

If your cleaning is such you get visible tartar build up you need to change your cleaning regime to give an implant the best chance of success.

If you smoke you need to stop, many implantologists will not place implants in smokers because of the increased failure rate. Some medical conditions may also prevent implant placement or need to be carefully controlled (diabetes) as failure rates are much higher.

-DeeDee-

I am going to a new dentist tomorrow to try and temporarily secure my crown, you think they would be able to take measurements etc for the procedure of the maryland bridge to be done on my 2nd appointment?

brook2jack

If you have a tooth out it normally takes 2 to 3 months for the bone to finish healing and remodelling. Most often if you are thinking of having a bridge the tooth is taken out, some sort of temporary placed and the bridge is done at a later date, otherwise gaps develop underneath it as the gum shrinks.

Also if your gums are not in good health it's best to get that sorted out before a bridge fit. That means getting rid of the tartar but also improving your cleaning regime so tartar doesn't form in the first place. Inflamed gums means it's difficult to take a good impression and the bridge is more likely to fail if cleaning is not meticulous.

welshdent

having a bridge isnt a case of having measurements taken anyway.
We have to prepare the retaining tooth to receive the restoration fully and then take the impressions needed for the lab to construct it. Then we have to temporise it.

My usual protocol for a bridge is step 1 - do the necessary investigations. That includes x rays, vitality tests and may be impressions to check the occlusion (bite) of the existing teeth to assess if it is possible to do. Maybe even arrange for the lab to make a wax up replica for the patient to see if they like the porjected appearance and to make a temporary bridge following prep.

Step 2 is a second appointment lasting between 45 - 60 minutes.

The teeth are prepared and impressions taken. temporaries placed.

Step 3 is fitting.

Its not a quick process.

edinburgher

I would be very wary of an 'offer' for an implant at that price. My poor wife is currently going through the process needed to get an implant fitted and we're paying double that (I think we're paying pretty much the going rate).