Prosthodontics is a branch of dentistry dedicated to replacing missing or damaged teeth. Common prosthodontic treatments include dentures, dental implants, crowns and bridges. After graduating from dental school, a prosthodontist receives an additional three years of training in the field of their choice. Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry that designs and implements artificial replacements for teeth and gums.
These include fillings, dentures, veneers, crowns, bridges and dental implants and any combination of treatments to restore lost or damaged teeth. Replacing missing or damaged teeth is important for many reasons. Not only are spaces in your smile embarrassing, but they also put you at risk for other dental problems, such as alignment problems, bone loss, and problems with eating and speaking. Understanding your prosthetic options can help you decide which treatments can help you regain optimal oral health and smile with confidence.
If you've never lost a tooth or needed a crown, you've probably never visited a prosthodontist. Prosthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that focuses on missing teeth. These trained medical professionals treat a variety of oral problems and provide specialized care that is tailored to each patient's particular dental needs. Read on to learn what prosthodontists do.
Prosthodontics focuses on treating patients with a variety of oral health needs related to the lack or malformation of teeth, structures, or tissues of the jaw or mouth. The goal is always to restore optimal oral health and function, as well as aesthetic restoration. Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthesis or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of dentistry that focuses on dental prostheses. It is one of the 12 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Australasia.
The ADA defines it as the dental specialty related to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with the lack or deficiency of teeth or oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes. Removable prosthodontics is a subspecialty that focuses on the production of dental prostheses that can be removed. Prosthodontists are also trained in the technical and technological aspects of the laboratory manufacture of complex dental prostheses and the complex restoration of dental and facial aesthetics. Prosthodontics has evolved to its current form through the gradual assimilation of multiple different areas of dental practice.
For example, in the area of dental implants, prosthodontists commonly use cone bean computed tomography (CBCT) to plan and place dental implants. Fixed prosthodontics is a subspecialty that focuses on the production of permanent dental prostheses. American College of Prosthodontists (FACP) fellows must have a degree in dentistry, have completed three years of specialized training in prosthodontics and be certified by the ABP. To successfully manage these patient needs, prosthodontists collaborate with all members of the dental team, including other specialized colleagues, general dentists, dental hygienists, and laboratory technicians.
The application of dental implant therapy to patients with prosthodontic needs has, perhaps, been the greatest individual advance and addition to the treatment procedures provided by the specialty. Prosthodontics continues to evolve as a dental specialty and it is expected that the services provided by the specialty will continue to be valuable to the profession and the public. The most common reasons you might seek out a prosthodontic specialist with implants are if you are not satisfied with a removable prosthesis, such as dentures, if you have lost an entire tooth (including the root) due to injury or illness, if you have lost several teeth and want to have a bridge and similar dental health needs. A prosthodontist has three years of extensive training in several areas of restorative dentistry, including dental implants, crowns, bridges, full dentures, partial dentures, aesthetics, occlusion, and facial and dental congenital developmental defects.
Prosthodontics emphasizes diagnosing and planning the treatment of patients who have complex dental needs and on providing treatment services that primarily involve repairing or replacing natural teeth with a variety of fixed or removable prosthetic options. .
Leave Message