Prosthodontics is a branch of dentistry that focuses on artificial replacements and enhancements that take the place of real teeth. Although when you hear the word prosthodontics, you may not know what the specialty entails, you have surely heard of many of the procedures and techniques that are part of the process – these include everything from dental implants and dentures to dental crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays and veneers.
The word prosthodontics comes in part from the word prosthesis, which is an artificial body part, or in this case, an artificial tooth. A prosthodontist dentist specializes in these types of dental procedures. With the increasing popularity of dental implants, many prosthodontists now focus primarily on implants or partial permanent dentures, although this type of dental specialist will also be able to offer patients a crown, bridge or other tooth substitute.
Prosthodontists are primarily cosmetic dentists, meaning that they have enhanced or specialized training that provides them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to restore teeth to their optimal functionality and beauty. Since a dentist that is schooled in prosthodontics is focused on cosmetic dentistry, many can also offer other types of cosmetic dental procedures such as tooth bonding and teeth whitening.
A dentist that specializes in prosthodontics can help you achieve the smile you deserve. Whether you have lost teeth due to decay or an accident, have injured or broken one or more teeth that need to be covered or replaced, or are in need of a replacement or restoration of your tooth or multiple teeth for any number of reasons, you should be sure that the dentist you visit has the necessary training to provide you with the best dental restoration.
In some cases, a restoration may be as simple as a single crown or cap on a tooth that is broken, chipped, discolored or that has excessive decay. Restoring a single tooth that still has some portion of the existing tooth in place, and that is healthy, can generally be done by creating a false covering or crown that resembles a real tooth and then adhering it to the portion of the tooth that is still intact.
For teeth that are missing, either due to an accident, because they have fallen out, or because they have been pulled due to excessive decay or deterioration, the process of restoring teeth becomes a bit more complex. Since there is no portion of an existing tooth left to cover, a prosthodontic dentist must then come up with a way to take the place of the original tooth with a replacement tooth. Of course, there are a number of ways to do that. If just one tooth is missing, a bridge can be made that is attached to the two surrounding teeth and contains a false tooth that sits in the area where the missing tooth should be. Dental implants are also a good option for single missing teeth.
Other options for restoring and replacing teeth, especially if multiple teeth are affected, include full or partial dentures, as well as dental implant supported dentures. The former option is a removable plate that can often be uncomfortable and may lead to bone loss because the teeth are no longer anchored into the jawbone. But by adhering a full or partial denture to a series of dental implants the replacement teeth can remain in the mouth permanently and the implants, which are anchored into the jaw bone, serve to maintain the overall strength of the bone over time.
What is prosthodontics? For more information about the prosthodontic procedures we offer, or to schedule an appointment with one of our prosthodontic specialists in Queens, contact Park Dental Care at 718-274-1515.
