If you are missing one or more teeth, have damaged teeth, or other problems with your mouth or jaw, your dentist may recommend dental prosthetics.
This can include replacing teeth with dental prosthetics such as implants or rebuilding other structures. Dental prosthetics aim to restore your smile and maintain long-term oral health.
What is Dental Prosthetics?
Dental prosthetics is a branch of dentistry that replaces lost teeth, corrects existing teeth aesthetically, and improves both the function and appearance of teeth. At Medikadent Polyclinic, we offer the latest technology for creating dental restorations, the CAD-CAM technology (SCHUTZ DENTAL GROUP), which relies on 3D computer programs and practically eliminates the possibility of human error.
This represents the beginning of a new era in dental-prosthetic restoration fabrication – the technology is based on scanning the working model, computer-aided design, milling, and sintering.
The goal of this technology is to shorten the production time of prosthetic work and reduce the possibility of errors.
Types of Dental Prosthetics
Repairing worn, damaged, or decayed teeth can be achieved using crowns, fillings, and other restorative treatments. Replacing missing teeth may include implants, bridges, and dentures.
Dental crowns
A dental crown is a cap that fits over the top of a tooth and is designed to match the color and shape of a natural tooth. In cases where a natural tooth can no longer support a crown due to severe damage or decay, an implant-supported crown may be used. To place an implant crown, the natural tooth must first be extracted. Then, an implant screw is placed into the jawbone and an abutment is attached. The abutment protrudes above the gum line, which is then sutured around it. Immediately after the implant placement, a temporary crown is usually attached to the abutment. Once the implant site heals and the bone fuses with the implant, a permanent crown is made and placed.
Dental crowns are often used to restore a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth that are not adjacent to each other.
Veneers
Thin shells placed on the front surface of teeth. Made from ceramic or zirconium dioxide. Designed to restore incisors, canines, and first premolars.
Dental Bridges
While a dental crown is a single cap over a damaged or decayed tooth, a dental bridge consists of two crowns with one or more false teeth (pontics) between them. Because of their structure, bridges can restore neighboring teeth that are decayed, damaged, or missing simultaneously. When used with dental implants, they are known as implant-supported bridges. Implant-supported bridges are used when natural teeth cannot support a dental prosthesis. Instead, these bridges rely on dental implants as support for crowns and pontics. Installing a dental bridge is similar to placing a crown but requires two implants.
Dentures
Dentures are artificial teeth and gums used to restore an entire upper or lower dental arch. They are used when a large number of natural teeth are missing or heavily damaged or affected by decay. While dentures can be removable, fixed dentures use dental implants for permanent stabilization in the mouth. Fixed dentures, also known as implant-supported dentures, are held in place using approximately four implants per arch. This is why they are also referred to as All-on-Four or All-on-Six implants. Installing implant-supported dentures requires placing at least four dental implants and extracting any remaining damaged or decayed teeth.
