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Maryland dental bridge

Maryland bridges are a type of resin-bonded bridge, often recommended for replacing one missing tooth in the mouth. A Maryland bridge is a permanent or semi-permanent bridge that replaces a missing tooth. Maryland bridges (or resin-bonded bridges) are retained by metal, Zirconia or polymer wings instead of crowns to secure this type of bridge. To bind a pontic tooth to the adjacent natural teeth, the retaining wings are bonded to the backs of the neighbouring teeth to fix your bridge in place.
Dentists typically use Maryland bridges to replace front teeth. These appliances aren’t strong enough to withstand the chewing forces of back teeth in patients with severe grinding and clenching or excessive bite forces.
The clinical data reveals that Maryland bridges have been a successful treatment option as a transitional and permanent prosthesis for more than thirty years. Several studies indicate that anterior bridges tend to perform better than posterior bridges. The overall survival rate has been suggested to be around 77% after 10 years of service.

Indications for Maryland bridges:

  • Missing teeth due to oral trauma or congenital causes, in growing patients before the placement of an implant can be planned in the patient with fully grown jaws.
  • Missing teeth when the patient is not a candidate for the dental implant procedure due to, e.g., medical contraindications, mental incapacity, insufficient bone volume or density, angled adjacent teeth roots, or financial limitations.
  • Intact neighbour teeth
  • Future complex rehabilitation cases

The Disadvantages of the Maryland Bridges

  • They are not as robust and durable as traditional bridges.
  • The three most common complications associated with the resin-bonded prosthesis are frequent de-bonding of the wings from the retainer teeth (21%), especially in the lower posterior regions with heavy chewing forces, tooth discolouration (18%) and caries (7%).
  • It is mainly indicated to replace only one missing tooth
  • The metal-backing bridges may make the neighbour’s teeth look darker.
  • A metal-based false tooth (pontic) may lack adequate natural translucency and vitality.
  • Although considered a more conservative alternative to traditional bridges, Maryland bridges may require adjacent teeth to remove some surface enamel, especially in patients with deep bites.

Zirconia Maryland bridges

The zirconia ceramic Maryland bridges mimic the colour of natural teeth and perform well in terms of aesthetics and strength.

Preparation-free Composite Bridges

The fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) bridge is a new method for replacing missing teeth. This conservative technique uses unidirectional glass strands/bundles to scaffold the composite pontic bonded to the adjacent abutment teeth.

Advantages of fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) bridge

  • Minimally invasive, reversible, and non-destructive to the healthy enamel and dentin
  • It can be used for temporary, medium-term and long-term solutions.
  • Aesthetically natural and pleasing
  • A cost-effective way to restore the missing tooth
  • It can be constructed based on the direct technique when the direct technique is performed in one session.
  • It can be easily repaired in one session if there is a fracture.
  • Simple and quick; Ideal option for elderly patients.
  • The interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) has excellent bonding to composite materials, adhesives, and resin cement.
  • High performance with a reported success rate of 95.2% after