What is a Maryland bridge?

A Maryland bridge is a replacement tooth held by thin wings bonded to the back surfaces of the adjacent teeth, rather than by crowns over them. It is also called a resin-bonded bridge. It is fixed in place like any other bridge, so nothing comes out at night. Because the neighboring teeth are barely prepared, it is the most conservative fixed bridge design.

Do my other teeth get drilled?

Barely — almost no healthy enamel is removed, which is the main advantage of the design. The back surfaces the wings bond to are only lightly prepared. A traditional bridge cuts down the healthy teeth either side to crown them, and a Maryland bridge does not. Because so little is taken away, other options stay open later in a way they do not once teeth have been crowned.

No — the wings sit on the tongue side of the neighboring teeth, so nothing shows from the front. They are thin and bonded to the back surfaces of those teeth. From the front, you see only the replacement tooth. That makes it a discreet option for a gap at the front of the mouth.

Can it be used on a back tooth?

A Maryland bridge is better suited to the front of the mouth than to a back tooth. The bond carries the whole load, so it is a design for light chewing forces. It is less suited to a molar or to a heavy or grinding bite. Where the load is the issue, a traditional bridge or a dental implant is the sturdier answer.

How does it compare with an implant?

Both spare the neighboring teeth, but they differ in what they need and how long they take. An implant is the longer-lasting solution, but it needs sufficient bone and takes longer. A Maryland bridge is quicker and involves no surgery. Both are worth putting side by side at the consultation before deciding.

Restorative Dentistry

Maryland Bridges in Los Angeles

A fixed replacement tooth that leaves the neighbors almost untouched.

The usual objection to a bridge is that two healthy teeth get crowned to replace a third. A Maryland bridge bonds behind them instead. Smile LA Downtown Modern Dentistry will tell you where that trade works and where it does not.

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Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh showing a patient a digital smile design on the wall screen

An iTero digital scanner with a 3D scan of a dental arch on its screen

The wings

How it differs from a traditional bridge

Instead of crowning the teeth either side, the replacement tooth carries thin wings that are bonded to the back surfaces of its neighbors. Those surfaces are barely prepared, so the enamel stays where it is. It is fixed in place like any other bridge — nothing comes out at night. The whole design is an answer to the standard objection to bridgework, which is that two healthy teeth get cut down to replace a third. Here they are not cut down at all, and that has a consequence beyond the enamel itself: because so little was removed, the other options are still open years later in a way they are not once two teeth have been crowned.

Conservative

Almost no healthy tooth structure is removed, which is the entire point of the design.
Hidden

The wings sit on the tongue side, so nothing shows from the front.
Reversible in principle

Because so little was taken away, other options stay open later in a way they do not once two teeth have been crowned.

Where it stops

Where it is not the right choice

The bond is doing all the work, so this is a design for light loads. It is most often used at the front of the mouth, and less suited to a molar or to a heavy or grinding bite. Where the load is the issue, a traditional bridge or a dental implant is the sturdier answer.

Against an implant

An implant is the more permanent solution and also spares the neighboring teeth, but it needs sufficient bone and it takes longer. A Maryland bridge is quicker and needs no surgery. Both are worth putting side by side before deciding — see crowns and bridges.

A patient standing with Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh after treatment

The short answer

A Maryland bridge, also called a resin-bonded bridge, is a fixed bridge that replaces a missing tooth using thin wings bonded to the back surfaces of the neighboring teeth instead of crowns. Those back surfaces are barely prepared, so almost no healthy enamel is removed, and the wings sit on the tongue side where they do not show. It is the most conservative fixed bridge design and is most often used at the front of the mouth, where chewing loads are light.

Maryland Bridges FAQ

What is a Maryland bridge?: A Maryland bridge is a replacement tooth held by thin wings bonded to the back surfaces of the adjacent teeth, rather than by crowns over them. It is also called a resin-bonded bridge. It is fixed in place like any other bridge, so nothing comes out at night. Because the neighboring teeth are barely prepared, it is the most conservative fixed bridge design.
Do my other teeth get drilled?: Barely — almost no healthy enamel is removed, which is the main advantage of the design. The back surfaces the wings bond to are only lightly prepared. A traditional bridge cuts down the healthy teeth either side to crown them, and a Maryland bridge does not. Because so little is taken away, other options stay open later in a way they do not once teeth have been crowned.
Will the wings show?: No — the wings sit on the tongue side of the neighboring teeth, so nothing shows from the front. They are thin and bonded to the back surfaces of those teeth. From the front, you see only the replacement tooth. That makes it a discreet option for a gap at the front of the mouth.
Can it be used on a back tooth?: A Maryland bridge is better suited to the front of the mouth than to a back tooth. The bond carries the whole load, so it is a design for light chewing forces. It is less suited to a molar or to a heavy or grinding bite. Where the load is the issue, a traditional bridge or a dental implant is the sturdier answer.
How does it compare with an implant?: Both spare the neighboring teeth, but they differ in what they need and how long they take. An implant is the longer-lasting solution, but it needs sufficient bone and takes longer. A Maryland bridge is quicker and involves no surgery. Both are worth putting side by side at the consultation before deciding.