Prosthodontic Dentistry
Prosthodontics is the dental specialty using facial and oral prostheses to treat or correct appearance, speech and swallowing problems caused by disease or injury.
This includes dentures, dental implants, and oral and facial prostheses.
Examples of a prostheses would include artificial noses, ears, cheeks and oral inserts to improve speach and swallowing.
Bridges
Overview
A bridge (or partial denture) is a custom-made replacement for one or more missing teeth that literally "bridges the gap." Artificial teeth are attached to gum-colored plastic bases. The bases are attached to a framework supported by abutments.
There are two types of bridges: removable and fixed. Both can be constructed from gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of materials. Porcelain bridges are often bonded to precious or non-precious metal.
With proper care, the life of a bridge is 10-20 years. Typically, two office visits are required to prepare, complete, and fit a permanent bridge.
A bridge may be used to replace missing teeth, help maintain the shape of your face, and alleviate stress on your bite.
A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, looks great, and literally bridges the gap where one or more teeth may have been. Your bridge can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.
The success of any bridge depends on its foundation - the other teeth, gums, or bone to which it is attached. Therefore, it's very important to keep your existing teeth, gums, and jaw healthy and strong.
Warning Signs
Visit your Dentist if you have one or more missing teeth and experience any of these symptoms:
- A noticeable difference in your ability to speak or chew
- A change in the shape of your face or the self-confidence of your smile
Left untreated, missing teeth will:
- Produce an unstable bite and dental stress that can damage teeth and gums or cause headaches
- Increase your risk for periodontal disease and tooth decay
When Prescribed
A bridge is often prescribed:
- When one or more teeth are missing and there are healthy teeth on both sides of the gap
- As part of a dental restoration plan after the removal of damaged, decayed, or broken teeth
Removable Bridge
A removable bridge is detached by its wearer for daily cleaning and at bedtime. It is prescribed when:
- Teeth adjacent to the gap are weak
- There are multiple missing teeth
- There are no posterior teeth to provide an anchor for the bridge
Fixed Bridge
A fixed bridge provides greater stability than a removable bridge because it is permanently anchored toabutments by use of bonding or a crown. Only a Dentist or Specialist can remove it.
Fixed bridges must be cleaned daily using dental floss and a specially made aid
Crowns
Overview
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth -- to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.
The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.
Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?
- A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
- To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
- To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
- To hold a dental bridge in place
- To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
- To cover a dental implant
- To make a cosmetic modification
For children, a crown may be used on primary (baby) teeth in order to:
- Save a tooth that has been so damaged by decay that it can't support a filling.
- Protect the teeth of a child at high risk for tooth decay, especially when a child has difficulty keeping up with daily oral hygiene.
- Decrease the frequency of sedation and general anesthesia for children unable because of age, behavior, or medical history to fully cooperate with the requirements of proper dental care.
In such cases, a pediatric dentist is likely to recommend a stainless steel crown.
Crown Types
Your Dentist will recommend the best type of crown for your dental restoration needs based on the chewing placement and structure of the tooth or implant that requires protection. There are three types of crowns. Each type has its own characteristics and qualities:
Full Porcelain(Ceramic)
Porcelain is attractive, strong, stable, and highly resistant to wear. It offers a high level of biocompatibility because it does not contain metal.
A porcelain crown provides the best natural color match to the rest of your teeth and is an excellent choice for front teeth.
Metal
Metal offers strength and endurance. A metal crown may be recommended for back teeth where the forces of biting and chewing are the greatest. A metal crown rarely chips or breaks. In addition, it requires minimal removal of tooth structure.
A gold or other high-noble metal crown offers biocompatibility. A base metal crown is often the least expensive treatment options; however, it lacks biocompatibility and may cause allergic reactions or gumline discoloration.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal
Porcelain-fused-to-metal offers the benefits of a natural surface color that resembles the rest of your teeth and the strength of a metal substructure.
While there are several advantages to selecting this type of crown, it requires the removal of more tooth structure than other types of crowns. This means that there is greater potential for patient discomfort during the treatment procedure.
Metal or Porcelain-Metal
After your tooth or dental implant has been prepared and shaped for a crown:
- A putty-like material is used to make impression of your prepared teeth. Your crown will be fabricated for a precise fit based on this impression.
- You will be fitted with a temporary crown to protect your tooth/implant and gums until your permanent crown has been fabricated.
- During a second office visit, your Dentist will fit your permanent crown and bond it to your tooth or dental implant.
Dentures
Dentistry is all about smiles, and even for patients wearing dentures, having a confident, healthy, beautiful smile is important. Our practice provides personalized denture services that meet the needs and comfort levels of our patients. All of our patients are unique and we create one-of-a-kind dentures that feel good and look natural.
What are dentures?
Dentures are natural-looking replacement teeth that are removable. Both types of dentures support facial muscles and lips, and keep them from sagging and receding which will make you look younger, improve speech, and improve your health by enabling you to eat properly.
There are two types of dentures: full and partial.
- Full or Complete dentures are given to patients when all of the natural teeth have been removed. Conventional full dentures are placed after the gum tissue has healed which can take several months. Immediate full dentures are placed immediately after the teeth have been removed and may require frequent adjustments during the first couple of months of use.
- Partial dentures are attached to a metal frame that is connected to your natural teeth and are used to fill in where permanent teeth have been removed. Partial dentures are considered a removable alternative to bridges.
With proper care and good oral hygiene, full dentures can last 5-10 years. Over a period of time as your mouth naturally changes shape, dentures need to be relined, remade, or rebased. (Rebasing a denture means a new base is created utilizing the teeth on your current denture).
Complete Denture Types
There are two main types of full dentures, conventional and immediate:
- Conventional dentures are fabricated and placed in the patient's mouth after all or most teeth have been removed and tissues have healed. (If tooth extraction is required, several months of healing must take place before conventional dentures can be provided.) Conventional dentures can replace:
- All of your teeth on your upper arch, lower arch, or both.
- Most of your teeth. In this case, an over denture is fabricated to fit over one or more natural teeth or dental implants for support.
- Immediate dentures are inserted in the patient's mouth as soon as any remaining teeth are removed. With immediate dentures, the wearer has teeth to use during the healing period. Oftentimes, denture wearers switch to conventional dentures when their gums have shrunk after the healing period.
What to expect?
After a thorough exam of your teeth, gums and supporting bone structure, your Dentist will discuss treatment options with you and answer your questions. If the agreed-upon treatment includes dentures, here's what to expect:
- It is common that some oral surgery may be required to prepare your mouth for full dentures. Sometimes teeth must be extracted or the bony ridge of your gum must be improved to provide your dentures with optimum stability.
- A putty-like material is used to make an impression of your arch. Your dentures will be fabricated based on this impression. Sometimes a try-in appointment is required to fine tune the tooth color, shape, and to customize the fit.
Dentures and oral tissues must be checked annually. Damage to oral tissue can occur without any pain or other symptoms. Early detection and elimination of inflammation is important to minimize shrinkage of the supporting bone and tissues.
Caring for your dentures
Dentures, just like natural teeth, require daily maintenance to stay clean and keep bacteria from growing inside of your mouth. Keep your dentures clean and your smile healthy:
- When handling your dentures, stand over a clean, folded towel or a sink full of water. This way, if you accidentally drop your dentures, they are less likely to break.
- Your dentures are not immune from plaque and tartar build-up, so it's important that you brush your dentures every day. To brush your dentures, use a soft-bristled brush and gently brush the surfaces of the dentures being careful not to break or bend the plastic. In between brushings, it's important to rinse your dentures after each meal.
- Use a gentle cleanser to clean your dentures. Many toothpastes, household cleaners, and mouthwashes can be too hard on your dentures, so it is recommended you use a mild hand or dish soap to get your dentures clean.
- When you are not wearing your dentures, they need to be kept moist. Dentures that are not kept in a denture cleaning solution or in water can dry out, lose their shape or even crack and break. Certain styles of dentures require certain soaking solutions, so be sure to ask your dentist which solution is best for you.