Dr. Hall
I had my #4 upper tooth (upper right second premolar) removed – the root had cracked. My dentist, very nice, states that a Nesbit partial is illegal to offer me in the State of Oregon due to a very few swallowing or inhaling the small dental fixture. I am currently wearing a temporary fixture. It has a large plastic palate piece with wire attachments at the back of my upper teeth on the right and left side of my mouth.
I am not happy. I do not want to purchase the permanent fixture that is made of metal. The nesbit makes sense to me and I am prepared to go back to Montana and see my dentist of 20 years. I moved to Oregon 16 years ago. What states “outlaw” the nesbit? Vancouver, Washington is just 10 miles away. I will wear this one while healing and to keep the teeth on either side supported. Two months to heal and then I would like to get a Nesbit. Do you have any suggestions? Wish I had friends to visit in your state.
Kathy from Oregon
Kathy,
I am skeptical about the Nesbit partial being illegal to place in any state. Really? Maybe it is illegal in Oregon, but that would surprise me if it is. I would bet instead that your dentist is probably worried about being sued should you actually swallow or aspirate the appliance. Maybe that’s the equivalent of it being illegal.
But I, too, am leery of the Nesbit partial, for that very reason.
How do you like the temporary fixture that you are now wearing as a tooth replacement? The way you are describing it, it sounds like a flipper partial – a small plate of plastic held in by tiny wire clips. Why don’t you just keep wearing that? There’s no law that says you have to throw that away after two months. I’ve seen those flipper partials last for years and years. They’re not ideal, but they work.
If you really want a Nesbit, I would start by asking other dentists in your town. I’d be surprised if you have to go into a neighboring state.
Dr. Hall
Links: read more about removable partial dentures
Click here to ask the dentist a question.
Follow-up: Kathy wrote back and confirmed that I was right – Nesbits are not illegal in Oregon, and she found a dentist who will do one.
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
It is illegal in most states… (i go to dental school in PA and it’s definitely illegal in PA) – Shin
Shin,
I need more information than that. Something doesn’t sound right here. What is your information source and what, exactly, is illegal? What is the rule or the law, specifically? Is it illegal to HAVE a Nesbit partial? Or is it illegal for a dentist to PRESCRIBE a Nesbit partial? Or is it illegal for a dental laboratory to MAKE a Nesbit partial? Is this a law? Or is it a rule of the dental board?
You may be right, so pardon my skepticism here. It’s just that I never, during my practice years, heard of a dental procedure or appliance being illegal, so I’m questioning what is meant by that term “illegal.”
And just to clarify again, I am not arguing in favor of Nesbits. I think they are dangerous. I just need more information than someone just throwing out, “it’s illegal.”