Arizona Bridge and IPS Empress

"A 59 year old male patient presented with generalized severe wear and a 5 mm loss of vertical dimension to his entire dentition, yet with no neuromuscular symptoms. In addition to these structural deficiencies, he was dissatisfied with his stained/discolored teeth and smile. After evaluation on a K-7 jaw-tracking device, a myocentric bite registration was taken and an ACCES™ Diagnostic wax-up was completed for the maxillary and mandibular arch. After the patient's approval of the wax-up, the entire maxillary arch (teeth #3-15) was prepared and restored with IPS Empress® fabricated by Aurum Ceramic.

NOTE: At the preparation visit, temporaries were fabricated for the upper arch and a bonded orthotic was made for the lower arch representing the final vertical dimension. This not only gave the patient a prototype of what the final restorations would look like, but it also allowed the patient to adapt neuromuscularly to the previously recorded ideal myocentric vertical dimension of occlusion.

After four months of asymptomatic trial at his new vertical, the entire mandibular arch (teeth #18-31) was prepared and restored with IPS Empress (#22-31) and an Arizona™ bridge (#18-21) over a Vectris post (#21) to the new myocentric vertical dimension. The patient is now fully restored, totally pain and symptom free, and has found extreme enjoyment in his new smile and youthful look. When a systematic and scientific approach is taken, combined with the level of expertise of Aurum Ceramic, excellence can be achieved in a full mouth rehabilitation case."

- Dr. Jeffrey K. Miyazawa