08/01/2025
💫Did You Know💫
About 1 in 50 people are born without at least 1 maxillary lateral incisor. For teens their parents, their general dentists and their orthodontists this poses a predicament. Do we close the space, essentially putting a canine in a lateral position or do we leave the space to replace the missing tooth?
Well, both scenarios need consideration based on individual factors but if we are leaving the space for an implant, for example, we arrive at another predicament: what do we do with the open space? It it not advised to place an implant before growth has ceased. In females this is around 21 yo and males could be a few years later. I don’t even consider placement until around 21.
So what do we do in the meantime bc this lovely 17 yo has school starting next week? There are removable appliances and then there is what we did here.
This is a Maryland bridge. Specifically a one-wing ceramic Maryland bridge made of on our machine. This restoration will last for years with the right care and replace the need for a removable appliance. It has a ceramic wing that bonds adhesively to the neighboring central incisor. Easy care and as long as she’s not tearing into toasted bagels or beef jerky on the daily, it will last until we can place an implant.
I’m fortunate to coordinate this treatment with my friendly orthodontists , , , , and so bracket removal can occur the same day as we scan for a MD bridge. All we need is minimal overbite and a millimeter or 2 of over jet so the cingulum is available to accommodate the wing 😁
