Case reports: evolution of prosthetic rehabilitation for a patient with severe loss of periodontal support

This paper describes the development of a technique to make a fixed bridge for a patient with severe reduction of periodontal support. Initially, the bridge was temporarily cemented over copings. However, when the super-structure was periodically removed for inspection, the copings were easily dislodged, with a risk of fracture of the abutment teeth. Consequently, the technique was modified by using lateral screws to fix the bridge to the copings. This design allows easy periodical removal, cleaning, repair and inspection of the abutment teeth.