What Is a Detachable Bridge

You may want replacement teeth that stay in place while still allowing your dentist to clean and maintain them. In this video, Dr. Regan Ackerman explains how her detachable bridge works and what caring for it involves.

So one of my favorite things to do for patients is a procedure we call the detachable bridge. It’s kind of the equivalent of what people may know as like an All-on-4 or a Fix on Six. So the detachable bridge part is that it’s a roundhouse bridge made out of zirconia. So it’s full arch replacement, so we’re replacing all the teeth. So this gets rid of a denture.

So this is in place of a denture. It is made out of zirconia with like a really strong framework, so it can be trimmed back significantly because it is a much, much stronger material. And then I will use the mini implants to hold it in place. Once we deliver this detachable bridge, so it essentially snaps on. But to you, it’s permanent.

You, the patient, do not have to take this out every day. You’re going to brush it like regular teeth, toothbrush, toothpaste, and then we give you a Waterpik that I want you to use once a day usually at nighttime. You’ve eaten all day, you want to get all that food out of there, so you’re going to power wash your teeth at night. But it is permanent to you. And then you will come see me every 6 months.

I’ll be the one to remove it and clean everything, check all your implants. There’s little O-rings in here. They help keep everything nice and tight. We’re going to put new O-rings in, and I will snap it back in. I love this option for patients because, A, obviously it gets rid of the denture, and essentially, to you, it’s permanent.

But I like it because it is retrievable, so we can take it out every 6 months, and we can clean everything, check everything, and snap it back in. And it’s made out of a very strong aesthetic material. The teeth are zirconia. So this is one of my favorite things I do for patients. It’s life-changing, especially if you’ve been struggling with a denture for a long time.

If you’re interested in learning more about detachable implant bridges, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Regan Ackerman at Freedom Dental Implants in Louisville, Kentucky. We look forward to giving you the freedom to smile.