A good alternative to a dental bridge?

I have a dental bridge that has had to be put back on 3 times in the last year because it will not stay!! For some reason my dentist cant get it to bond... I dont have enough bone structure for an implant so what other options do I have... Unfortunately we are dealing with the military dental system, so getting a new dentist isnt really an option...

A good alternative to a dental bridge?
I'm assuming you've pursued the implant option with an oral surgeon, who can often augment your bone with a graft.


There are a couple of other options. The simplest is to make sure your dentist is using the strongest cement available. For me, it is C%26amp;B Metabond, made by Parkell in Farmingdale NY. I'm guessing the military is using only the latest, right? ;-)


The other option if the teeth are too short or overprepared is to have crown lengthening procedures done on the abutment (holding) teeth. This will expose more tooth structure, and allow a bridge with better retention that will stay in better.


I won't presume to tell the military what to do. It may be worth your while to try to find a sympathetic dentist outside the military to try the first option if only to buy you time until you have other options. Who knows--it may even work better that I hope it will!





Good luck,


Steve Bornfeld, DDS
Reply:If you have a bridge I assume you have at least a few of your teeth left. What you could do is to get partial dentures that could be attatched to the remaining teeth that you could get a crown on.


As far as implants are concerned it is possible to do a bone transplant, but of course it is 100% certain it will be successful.


Could your dentist maybe send you to a specialist? you could ask without worrying, for bridges are supposte to stay for quite a few years unless you have very special and active jaws, maybe a specialist could find out if there was something about the way you bite that could be of importance.





Good luck to you!


Bee - Dental student
Reply:It sounds as if you have used up your options.





Now when I had a bridge (before crowns) it was removable.





Then I had crowns done, the big one being a triple, the two on each side anchor to teeth and the middle one fills a hole where a molar was pulled. These are cemented on.





I don't think I really have any good suggestions for you, I am sorry. Good Luck.