Implant Bridge
Fig 1: A 45 year old female presented with a unique problem in her upper left sextant. The 1st molar was lost to periodontal disease but could not be replaced with a dental implant due to insufficient bone and a very low sinus. A 3-unit fixed bridge was considered, but the 2nd molar proved to be an inadequate abutment because it was mobile. The rotated bicuspid was healthy.
Fig 2: After considerable thought, the treatment plan was to extract the mobile molar and the healthy bicuspid and insert a 3-unit fixed bridge supported by two dental implants. This case was engineered to provide a solid anterior implant of average size in good quality bone and a solid posterior implant of above average size. This photo demonstrates the extraction sites.
Fig 3: The two dental implants are in place. The posterior implant was strategically placed at the junction of the boney septum of the maxillary sinus. See Fig 8. The naturally occurring bulk of bone seen on the palatal side of the posterior implant further stabilized this implant.
Fig 4: The well-proportioned 3-unit porcelain bridge was cemented in place.
