A partial loss of some teeth is common. The most common teeth to be found missing are first premolars and molars. at approximately age six our first permanent molars come in. at this age our oral hygiene is most often lacking. on top of that, a childes diet most often consists of cariogenic (caries stimulating) food products.

The lucky are able to go through childhood without ever receiving any dental treatment, but many others on the other hand, have to treat those teeth or even extract them at an early age. Restoration and crowns in those areas are prone to wear through-out the years, leading to breakage. It is possible to restore the loss of teeth by placing a bridge on top of the adjacent teeth. Such a solution demands early preparation of adjacent teeth. Ever since the eighties, placing a fixed implant supported bridge is the better choice. Implants are new “soldiers” in the mouth and together with a steady prosthetic they are able to maintain a healthy and harmonic oral cavity for many years to come. The case before you shows how a 30-year-old bridge has fallen due to serious decay of the supporting teeth. After the removal of hopeless teeth, implants were installed to replace the loss. After a period of 4 months that the implants were left alone to integrate with the bone( pictures 1-2), laboratory cores were screwed to the implants(picture 3). Metal caps that are the skeletal base of the future bridge were customized to fit on the cores( picture 4). The ceramic bridge was cemented permanently to the cores, as seen in pictures 5-6. The level of precision and accuracy that was achieved can be viewed on the x-ray( picture 7). We can also appreciate the skilled surgery that was done- implants are parallel to one another, allowing for an easier prosthetic build up.