Splinted Cantilever Bridge Restores Patient's Congenitally Missing Laterals

Restoring congenitally missing laterals is one of my favorite types of cases because they usually involve young patients who are self-conscious about their smile. These cases give me the opportunity to transform their teeth and help them move into their adult life with confidence.

This young female patient with congenitally missing laterals had several years of orthodontic treatment to create space for teeth #7 and #10 and correct the overall positioning of her teeth. She also wasn’t happy with the esthetics of teeth #8 and #9.

This case was particularly challenging due to the high lip line, minimal restorative space and the patient’s very high expectations. She declined to have implants placed at #7 and #10, so Dana Buglione, MSD, DMD, and I decided to restore with a splinted cantilever bridge using teeth #8 and #9 as the anchor teeth.

We chose Aidite’s 3D Pro Zirconia with a gradient of color from gingival to incisal; due to limited occlusal space,...