Maryland Bridge & Fixed Bridges

When teeth are lost they need to be replaced. If only a few of the teeth are missing, they may be replaced with a fixed restorative device called a bridge. A dental bridge is like a regular road bridge in that is has abutments, which in this case, are sound teeth on both sides of the empty gap. The span attached to the abutments is called a pontic, and is a metal framework attaching to the abutments at each end, with one or more artificial teeth attached to it. Sometimes an entire dental arch is restored with a single, fixed bridge. Abutment teeth must usually have artificial crowns, even if healthy. To avoid having to remove the enamel completely in healthy abutment teeth, an alternative called the Maryland Bridge was developed and, here, the abutments are not complete crowns but simply metal onlays bonded to the inside surfaces of the front teeth and the biting surfaces of molars. The main advantage of a Maryland Bridge is that the natural teeth are relatively undisturbed. They are also less expensive than a standard bridge but the disadvantage is that they are much more likely to come loose from the abutment teeth than a standard bridge. For reliability on a long term basis, standard bridges are preferable.