Andrew’s bridge: Prosthetic rehabilitation of siebert’s class iii bone defect-a case report

Abstract

Anterior ridges are commonly seen to resorb, creating defects that are difficult to rehabilitate and restore. Most commonly seen defects are combined Class III defects. The goal of restorative treatment should be to restore aesthetics, phonetics and function, therefore complete closure of the defect is mandatory along with the replacement of missing teeth. These defects can be treated with both conventional removable or fixed partial denture but the conventional prosthesis fail to replace the lost soft tissue structures. Implant-supported restorations are becoming popular, but they are of questionable prognosis in such cases of three sided defects. Andrew‘s bar system can be an option in such situation. It is a combination of both fixed and removable partial denture and fulfils all the basic requirements like aesthetics, phonetics, hygiene and comfort. Andrew‘s bridge is a treatment modality especially indicated in patients with excessive anterior ridge defects where a conventional fixed partial denture would result in aesthetic results and creation of the characteristic black triangles. This article presents a case report that describes the step by step procedure of fabrication of Andrew‘s bridge i.e., a fixed removable bridge in anterior ridge defect (Siebert‘s Class III) in mandible where adjacent natural teeth are used as abutments for the fixed portion followed by removable portion. In anterior ridge defect cases Andrew‘s bridge provides a viable alternative to conventional Prosthodontics.