Fibre-Reinforced- Composite Bridges
Sometimes, patients don’t want to undergo invasive (and expensive) dental treatment such as the placement of dental implants or the preparation of teeth for a fixed (conventional) bridge. In other situations, patients suffer from periodontal disease (Gum Disease) and are therefore not good candidates for dental implants or fixed bridges. Or patients are medically compromised and not able to undergo longer treatments. These patients will often end up with partial dentures. These dentures often lose their fit due to the shrinkage of the gum under these dentures. These patients often have a poorer quality of life. Fibre- reinforced – composite bridges are a fantastic treatment option for short span gaps in areas where little chewing pressure is asserted i.e the upper and lower front.
Treatment Examples (by Dr Nelz):
Upper front tooth replaced with FRC bridge in a Patient who didn’t want a dental implant.
(long-term temporary solution)
Glass fibre reinforced composite bridges are often very useful for patients with Gum Disease! In some cases, these restorations can even be used as a permanent solution (see case below).
Another area where we use these restorations is dental implant treatments when patients require a temporary solution while the implant is healing into the jaw bone.
Lower FRC Bridge to replace the missing front tooth in a Patient with Gum Disease.
