1. Register several crowns or crowns and pontics in the form, connect them, and run Medit Temporaries.
ℹ️ Note
Note that to design a bridge, crowns and pontics must be connected, as shown in the image above. Otherwise, the program will consider them as multiple single crowns. All crowns and pontics of the bridge must be registered with the same ‘method’ and ‘material.’
2. After the app has opened, select the prepared data module and assign your scan data.
3. Use the Margin Line Tools to draw margins for the prepared teeth. To work on the next tooth, click its number in the list below the 3D data or use the arrow keys.
To create a more precise margin, you can turn on Curvature Display Mode and refer to the cross-sectional display that appears when you hover the mouse over the data.
When done, click “Next” or press the space key.
Margin Line Tools
Manual Creation | Manually create a margin line based on the selected points. | |
Edit | Edit the margin line. Add, move and delete the control points. | |
Auto Creation | Automatically create a closed margin line based on the selected point. | |
Delete | Delete the margin line. | |
Curvature Display Mode | See curvature of the data through Color Map. |
4. Library teeth will appear in this step. Use the provided Positioning Tools to adjust the teeth’s position, size, and shape one by one. Utilize the contact features in Viewing Tools to ensure proper positioning of the library data on the prepared tooth. These features will show how the restoration fits in with its adjacents and antagonists through the Color Map.
Positioning Tools
Free Move/Scale | Move the tooth freely without any constraints. Use shortcut keys to rotate and scale it. | |
3D Manipulator | Scale, move, or rotate the tooth. |
Shortcut Keys (for library data)
Rotate (Ctrl/Cmd + click and drag) |
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Uniform Scale (Shift + click and drag) |
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Non-Uniform Scale (Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + click and drag) |
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Free-Forming (Alt/Opt + click and drag) |
5. Check the adjustment options provided in the Quick Settings before moving to the next step. If your bridge includes pontic, choose between ovate or saddle type in this step and adjust its distance to the gingiva.
6. In the next step, use Sculpting Tools to design the outer surfaces of each restoration if needed.
When sculpting, adjust the transparency slider of each crown in Data Tree or click them to completely hide the restoration. This will improve the visibility and access when designing the mesial and distal sides.
<Tooth #26 is hidden and tooth #27 is transparent.>
ℹ️ Note
After sculpting, you can make more changes to the outer and inner surfaces of the restoration in Advanced Edit Mode. This step is optional. See more on Advanced Edit Mode at the end of this chapter.
Sculpting Tools (Check more hotkeys for sculpting by clicking the question mark; provided hotkeys help to save up time when sculpting.)
Add | Add material to the restoration. Hotkey: 1 |
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Remove | Remove material from the restoration. Hotkey: 2 |
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Smooth | Smooth parts of the restoration. Hotkey: 3 |
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Morph | Morph the material on the restoration by dragging it with your mouse. Hotkey: 4 |
7. Finish creating the bridge by adjusting connectors. Turn on the Connector Editor on the right and drag the center point of each connector to change its position. The minimum cross-sectional area for connectors can be set in program settings. The default value is 9 mm² for anterior teeth and 14 mm² for posterior teeth.
ℹ️ Note
If the connector is displayed in orange, its position is not optimal; adjust until it is blue again.
If there are parts of the restoration that are too thin, they will be displayed in blue. Turn on Sculpting Tools and edit them before finishing.
ℹ️ Note
It is recommended first to adjust the connectors and only then to perform sculpting. If you turn on Connector Editor after sculpting, your sculpting results will be lost.
8. If satisfied with the result, save the bridge to Medit Link by clicking “Complete” in the bottom right corner.
9. If you want to make more advanced edits to the restoration's inner and outer surfaces, click "Advanced Edit Mode" in the bottom right corner of step 6.
A) Edit the outer surface of each crown separately by performing the adaptation with tools provided in the outer surface tab of the Editing Tools.
To edit the pontic, turn on Pontic Editor and adjust it to the gingiva.
Editing Tools (Outer Surface)
Adapt to Adjacents | Adapt the restoration to adjacents. | |
Adapt to Antagonists | Adapt the restoration to antagonists. | |
Smart Adaptation | Adapt the restoration to the antagonists and adjacents simultaneously based on our recommended parameters. |
B) Edit the inner surfaces by adjusting the insertion path arrows and values for the parameters provided in the inner surface tab of the Editing Tools. Adjust the insertion path by moving the arrow for each crown separately, or turn on Bridge Insertion Path so the arrows would move as one. You can also use Set Arrow to Your Viewpoint to quickly set the insertion direction to your viewpoint.
<The gray arrow indicates the automatically set insertion direction; the blue arrow is the newly set insertion direction.>
To adjust inner surface parameters for all teeth at once, click “All” in the list below the 3D data.
ℹ️ Note
Remember to click “Apply” after setting new parameter values.
In the prepared data module, you can adjust the following parameters for the inner surface of the crowns.