“How long is a bridge replacement procedure?”
I will have a bridge replacement. How long is a bridge replacement procedure?
4 Answers
Depending on the provider and treatment plan, replacing a bridge can take one or two appointments. If a provider is able to mill the bridge in-office, the appointment will be slightly longer, but you will go home with your new bridge on the same day. If a provider sends out the impression to a lab, you will return back to the office in a few weeks to have the new bridge delivered. In the interim, you will have a temporary bridge.
The bridge replacement procedure involves removing the old bridge by cutting it off and care must be taken not to damage the underlying tooth structure. It can take approximately 20 to 30 minutes for each abutment of the bridge to be cut away so the bridge can be removed. That procedure alone can take 40 minutes to an hour or longer if the bridge has more than two abutments, support teeth. The removal of the bridge would be part of the first visit. The beginning of the visit should have included x-rays to determine the health of the bone and the roots of the supporting teeth as well as assessment of decay at the margins of the bridge on the support teeth. After the examination an impression should be made to assist in the fabrication of the temporary bridge which will be used while the final bridge is being made.
Therefore, you could have 10 to 15 minutes for x-rays and an exam, another 30 to 60 minutes to remove the old bridge and 30 minutes to make the temporary bridge, or an hour and 45 minutes if the supporting teeth are not in need of cavity removal and fillings to replace the decayed tooth structure. If the abutment teeth, the supporting teeth are not decayed then that could end the first visit. The second visit would involve making an impression of the abutment teeth and the teeth in the opposing arch and that could take 1 to 2 hours depending upon the complexity of the required treatment. The third visit would involve removing the temporary bridge, as was necessary for making the impression, and then cementing the final bridge and adjusting the bite. That third visit could take about an hour.
If any of the abutment teeth require the removal of decay and the placement of fillings that would add extra visits and extra time. If any of the abutments is so badly decayed that they require root canal treatment to be saved that, of course, would require even more visits and more time.
In summary, it might only be a three visit procedure unless extra time is taken to do the impressions at the first visit, in which case it would only take two visits. However, then the first visit could take an extra 30 to 45 minutes.
The reason for a second visit to make the impressions is because the gum tissue is typically going to bleed a little bit and necessitate time to heal. However, if the doctor has a laser to create a trough around the teeth an excellent impression can be made at the first visit unless extra treatment is required for cavity removal.
Sincerely,
Dr. Druckman
Therefore, you could have 10 to 15 minutes for x-rays and an exam, another 30 to 60 minutes to remove the old bridge and 30 minutes to make the temporary bridge, or an hour and 45 minutes if the supporting teeth are not in need of cavity removal and fillings to replace the decayed tooth structure. If the abutment teeth, the supporting teeth are not decayed then that could end the first visit. The second visit would involve making an impression of the abutment teeth and the teeth in the opposing arch and that could take 1 to 2 hours depending upon the complexity of the required treatment. The third visit would involve removing the temporary bridge, as was necessary for making the impression, and then cementing the final bridge and adjusting the bite. That third visit could take about an hour.
If any of the abutment teeth require the removal of decay and the placement of fillings that would add extra visits and extra time. If any of the abutments is so badly decayed that they require root canal treatment to be saved that, of course, would require even more visits and more time.
In summary, it might only be a three visit procedure unless extra time is taken to do the impressions at the first visit, in which case it would only take two visits. However, then the first visit could take an extra 30 to 45 minutes.
The reason for a second visit to make the impressions is because the gum tissue is typically going to bleed a little bit and necessitate time to heal. However, if the doctor has a laser to create a trough around the teeth an excellent impression can be made at the first visit unless extra treatment is required for cavity removal.
Sincerely,
Dr. Druckman
The procedure takes about 1 and 1/2 hours and then about two weeks before cementing the bridge. Temporaries are made to cover the prepared teeth during the two weeks.
It usually takes about an hour to replace a bridge.
