This video on Dental Bridge Removal & Make 13-Tooth Temporary was performed in our Cosmetic Dentistry office.

This video shows how to remove a full arch porcelain fused to metal bridge in the upper jaw comprising a total of 13 teeth. First you will see that a vertical cut is placed through the mid-facial porcelain of each crown using a cylindrical diamond bur. You may also see several other vertical cuts placed on the mesial and distal of these same crowns. Then you will see the cuts will extend over the incisal edges and onto the palatal surfaces of each tooth. The sharp cylindrical steel burs are used to cut into the underlying metal frame – deeper than the initial porcelain cuts. When making these cuts the dentist should be careful to end exactly where the underlying teeth begin. Also note that one should expect to use a LOT of brand new – and sharp – porcelain and steel burs otherwise it will take forever.

Once making this series of cuts you may notice pieces of the bridge getting loose. DO NOT force any part of the bridge off because you can break the underlying teeth and that can become a big problem. If the necessary make horizontal cuts into the porcelain first with a diamond bur and then a steel bur as before and begin to remove the portions of the crowns at the gingival margins. Most of the time you will need to make inter proximal cuts with both types of burs to give the crown sections mesial-distal wiggle room to come off.

Take your time and avoid using a reverse mallet as much as possible. It is ideal to be able to remove an entire bridge in sections with fingers only.