How to screw up a bridge in the software...and fix it
Female patient with existing bridge from #7-10; 8 and 9 are the pontics. She's not happy with the esthetics and won't even smile fully due to how bad it looks. No worries...I have CEREC. She's not interested in implants and I'm not comfortable using laterals as abutments. So, we decide to do 2 bridges; #6-8 and #9-11 (cantilevers). She was anxious to begin so Mr Know-it-All here didn't feel a wax-up was needed b/c I could knock it out of the park. Let the scanning begin!
Pre-Op "Smile"
Pre-Op Retracted
So CEREC images are taken. In the ADMIN screen, I designate #6, 7 as crowns and #8 as a pontic. I then designate #11, 10 as crowns as #9 as a pontic. HERE'S WHERE I SCREWED UP. I did not notice that the computer thought I was designing a 6-unit bridge and not 2, 3-unit bridges. Notice how all 6 teeth are connected? Yeah...I missed that.
I finish my design and finally notice the problem. Oh crap. I went back to the ADMIN screen and attempted to change it. Nope...not permitted. If I re-designated the teeth, I lost the design. I solved my problem by creating a space/gap between the centrals. How? Dial in the contacts to where you want. SAVE the case. Use SHAPE ANATOMICAL tool to move one central and create a gap. Mill that bridge. Close the case WITHOUT saving it and you open it back up with the centrals/contact perfect again. Use the shape tool on the other tooth and mill that bridge.
Yes, it wasn't fun adjusting the contacts and shaping the bridges but I made it work. Here's the mistake I made and how to avoid it
Note the arrow and how the computer has all the teeth connected. Click on the chain and remove it to designate the case as 2 separate bridges.
Hope that helps someone avoid the fun I had milling these (each took an hour) and adjusting the contacts. Yes, I could have redesigned the case but I also wanted to see if my work around worked. Here are the immediate delivery pics.
