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.
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.
Maryland Bridges FAQ
- What is a Maryland bridge?
- A replacement tooth held by thin wings bonded to the back surfaces of the adjacent teeth, rather than by crowns over them.
- Do my other teeth get drilled?
- Barely. That is the design’s main advantage — almost no healthy enamel is removed.
- Will the wings show?
- No, they sit on the tongue side of the neighboring teeth.
- Can it be used on a back tooth?
- It is better suited to the front. The bond carries the load, so heavy chewing forces make another design a safer choice.
- How does it compare with an implant?
- Both spare the neighboring teeth. An implant is more permanent but needs sufficient bone and takes longer; a Maryland bridge is quicker and involves no surgery.
