The Hemp Two Piece
Fixed Bridge - Each Abutment
Can be Cemented Independently

AND My CANTILEVER BRIDGES BELOW THAT!

2/24/2014 ... With our new era of implants we are of course doing far far fewer of these fixed bridges to begin with so there will be fewer need for cases like this in the future but this is still an option with age and finances taken into account.

Above are a couple crude drawings I made which are pretty self explanatory. Anywhere in the pontic area you can have the two sections meet where you have enough surface for the square sections to be stable. On a four unit bridge in the very middle is the best. These are not cemented or bonded in any way at the contact point in the pontic area. The idea is for support but if either one should loosen it can be re cemented individually.

This bridge is VERY technique sensitive! You must show your lab tech how to do this! I always check it in the wax up first to be sure it is perfectly parallel at the contact point and both sides can be removed from either side. I then always do a metal try in to be sure it is tight at the contact point and fits on both sides. I always remind the lab to not polish the contact points, you want some friction there. If done right this bridge will be very solid when both sides are seated at try in without any cementation. I use ZNPO4 .. Zinc Phosphate, to initially seat these which is usually just fine ... but tinplating the gold and bonding with Liner Bond 2 V .. dual cure and Panavia 21 is fine too if they should not hold with the ZNPO4.
I like the ZNPO4 as a general cement ... because it is the weak link and should a Ju Ju Friut pull a crown off, I would like the cement to fail and the stump of the tooth say put! If too tight a cement on everything the patient could just pull and fracture off the whole tooth at the gum line. But sometimes the extra horsepower is needed and takes priority. You might want to try this in the right situation some time, especially if the patient does not want implants.

Below is an xray and a photo of a Hemp Bridge on a Patient that came in yesterday - 3/30/00. This particular Hemp Bridge has been in place for almost 3 years now. As you can see, it has not settled or tipped up or down out of the contact area. This is even more remarkable since this patient is also a bruxer (teeth grinder) . He does wear our soft designed lower night guard regularly though.

02/20/2016 UPDATE ... Still there and doing fine! And I have another mandibular right, long 4 unit solid high noble full gold bridge like this that has been there since 1996 for 20 years now too.

This is of another patient that just came in on 10/16/01 ..
Almost 5 years and never wore a night gaurd, etc.

Update .... 08/16/03 .... not one of our Hemp style sectional bridges has to this date shifted one iotta! .... these work folks .. I was reminded of this webpage and added this because I recemented the posterior section of one of these on a patient yesterday! ... was a pleasure to just recement it instead of having to cut it apart or try and pull the anterior abutment off! ... I did recement this one with Panvia 21 though after using Liner Bond primer on the dentin and Metaltite on the gold internally.

We don't do as many of these as we do less and less fixed bridges since the implants have come into their own .... see our implant page ... making the templates or Stints after surveying the models for exact placement of the implant in the bone is the most critical aspect of the implant I think.

MY CANTILEVER BRIDGES

08/15/2013 .... This patient came in yesterday .... I don't know why I haven't posted this type of bridge before this ... Another thinking outside of the box situation .... Below I am posting one of these unique bridges I did 39 years ago in 1974 ... It looks and is as strong as it was the day we did it!!! I have done a GREAT NUMBER of these over the years and have cut the cantilivered pontic off only twice ... last week a 38yr old cantilever bridge done in 1985 .. on a smoker with some beginning mobility. A case with generalized Periodontosis, cut the cantilever off and left the crown still in place ... should snug back up very shortly. The other one I cut off not too long after placing it, as the patient had a compulsive habit of biting on the cantilever only and flexing the 1st molar ...
This is a GREAT OPTION to implants into the sinuses with sinus lifts (I personally do not do sinus implants) And we do a lot of implants ... see on our implant page ...

Over the years I have NEVER run into another dentist, instructor, etc. that said this would work! ...
I keep the pontic very narrow and balanced only over the buccal or lingual chewing cusps be it a maxillary or mandibular bridge ... very open and self cleanzing ... and all my metal work to this day is only HIGH NOBEL GOLD! .... Never any allergy or untoward inflamation!

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