A dental bridge can replace a tooth or several teeth. The fake teeth in dental bridges look and function like real teeth. For a bridge, a person may see a prosthodontist, a dentist who specializes in restoring and replacing missing teeth, or a regular dentist. Either way, there are many options for filling a gap in a smile.

One option is to have a crown — a fake bit of tooth attached to a small portion of real tooth that the dentist has ground down. When a person has lost a tooth or the dentist has had to remove it, however, a crown alone is not an option, and a dental bridge may be the best choice.

Patient complaints: Anca presented with 30% bone loss on both jaws. The intraoral examination results showed all teeth were wobbling. Indicating a serious periodontal disease. If left untreated, the tooth sockets would continue to grow in space around the teeth and the bone loss would accelerate.

Treatment plan: Anca had all teeth extracted and the all on 6 treatment was recommended. All tooth sockets were cleaned of periodontal disease and the implants will help to establish healthy bone connection for stability of her full arch fixed dentures.

21 extractions

12 Megagen® dental implants

2 full zirconia arches

Treatment time: 3 months

Result: Anca had all her teeth extracted and cleaned under local anaesthesia. 6 implants were then immediately loaded. Anca waited 3 months for her bone to fully integrate and stabilise her implants. Once healed, Anca returned for her all on 6 full arch zirconia dentures. The patient was incredibly pleased with the result and is feeling happier and more confident since completing her smile makeover.