"A 32 year old male presented with congenitally missing Maxillary lateral incisors which were replaced by two Rochette type Maryland bridges. They were placed over 15 years ago and appeared to be functioning satisfactorily. The patient expressed his displeasure at the artificial look of the PFM pontic and the blue-grey appearance of the underlying metal substructure radiating through the abutment teeth, but was apprehensive about pursuing treatment in the past because he thought it would involve aggressive removal of tooth structure. Clinical examination did not reveal any significant hard or soft tissue lesions. The mild gingivitis present was treated with a home care oral hygiene regiment. We decided to replace the two Maryland bridges with two resin-bonded Targis/Vectris bridges. The patient has a Class 3 end to end occlusion, no history of bruxism, and the abutment teeth exhibited less than Class I mobility which made him an excellent candidate for this type of treatment. The treatment also satisfied the patient's request for tooth conservation and provides him with an esthetic and durable pair of restorations." - Dr. Edward Lowe

Pre-operative view of patient's smile. Lingual view of existing Rochette Maryland Bridges. Lingual view of maxillary incisors after the bridges were removed. Facial view of the single pontic fibre reinforced composite restoration. Lingual view of the inserted restorations. Post-operative view of the patient's smile.

Dr. Edward Lowe graduated from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry in 1986. He is a graduate of the Advanced Esthetic Programs at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He is currently a clinical instructor at the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum (PAC-Live) in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Lowe is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco. In addition to being an evaluator and speaker for several dental product manufacturers including Ivoclar North America, 3M and Dentsply, Dr. Lowe has completed the Academy of Laser Dentistry's Category II Certification Examination.

Dr. Lowe is an active member of the Canadian Dental Association, American Dental Association and Crown Council. In addition, he is an active member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a charter member and director of the Western Canada Chapter of the AACD. He has taken and continues to take numerous continuing education courses in esthetic and cosmetic dentistry and keeps his knowledge of materials and applications on the cutting edge by reviewing current newsletters and publications in advanced esthetics. Dr. Lowe's articles on esthetic dentistry have appeared in such publications as Dentistry Today, Contemporary Esthetics and Restorative Practice, Signature and Dental Entrepreneur.

He maintains a private practice in Vancouver, BC with an emphasis on restorative and esthetic dentistry. Dr. Lowe has dedicated his practice to informing and educating his patients and colleagues about esthetic and cosmetic dentistry. He believes that improving his patient's smiles, through "conservative esthetic dental techniques", has a positive impact on their overall appearance and self-confidence.