Getting front tooth pulled and prepped for implant - can I get a Maryland bridge instead of a flipper?

Most of the time we don't invest much money in something that will be disposable.  Temporary restorations are normally done in as inexpensive of a fashion as possible.  Since a Maryland bridge can ONLY be made out of materials that are strong, it is not considered a temporary option.  If money is no object, it certainly could be used.

I recently had a young patient who had congenitally missing laterals.  after ortho she needed bone grafts,   then implant and finally full restoration.we made her two bonded bridges that were worn for a total of 4 years.  After bone grafts, one sided needed repeat bone graft, after implant placement.She was a cheerleader and had senior pictures in High School and college Freshman had total confidence with her smile.  Loved the bridges.  The downside was about $6000 in total cost.  Comes out to about $1500 / year or about $4.00 a day.We did discuss skipping the implants but the patients mother insisted only an implant was acceptable.She now has two implants with ceramic crowns and is thrilled with the new look.  Even though she didn't mind flossing under the bridges, she won't miss doing it.Ira L Shapira DDS, D,ABDSM, D,AAPM, FICCMO

Hi, thanks for write... Maryland is too expensive to temporary use, they're others options like a temporary support by 2 clams on each side of the front teeth and so many more. Good luck 

Congratulations on making the best, long term choice for replacing your tooth.  Unfortunately, there is no ideal method of temporization.  Sometimes a temporary crown can be immediately placed on an implant, but not everyone is a candidate for this.  Most patients do fine with a well made and properly shaped flipper.  The issues with a Maryland bridge are cost,  and your restorative dentist having to unbond and rebond the bridge several times through-out your treatment.

There is no ideal way to temporize your front tooth. Flippers and essix retainers are the traditional temporaries and very cost effective but they are sometimes inconvenient. The maryland bridge may be expensive for you and tedious for the restorative dentist and surgeon. Another problem may be that there isn't enough space between your upper teeth and lower teeth to accomodate a Maryland bridge. A final option may be a snap-on-smile by Denmat. This can be an esthetic way to temporize the front of the mouth, more tolerable than a flipper, easier than a Maryland bridge.