After removing the bridge you confirm caries on the canine abutment and a defective margin from the original preparation. What is the most appropriate definitive treatment?

Correct answer: A. Remove the caries, then fabricate a NEW bridge

• A. Correct. Once caries is excavated/restored and the original margin is known to be defective, the failed cast restoration cannot simply be reused — a NEW bridge with a properly fitting margin is required.
• B. Recementing reuses a restoration with a known faulty margin and ignores the abutment caries.
• C. Extracting a restorable canine abutment is unnecessarily destructive and leaves a span unrestored.
• D. You cannot 'reshape' the margin of an already-cast metal framework to make it fit the tooth; the casting is fixed and was made to a flawed preparation.