|
Tooth Replacement
Prosthetic dentistry is concerned with missing teeth dentition. This field
is of vital importance due to aesthetic reasons as well as protection against
mouth function defects, such as chewing or speech. Our surgeries provide complex
service of prosthetic restoration, both permanent and removable.
Prosthetic procedures:
. Prosthetic Crown - Typically porcelain crowns are placed when a significant amount of tooth structure is lost and when placing a filling would jeopardize
the integrity of the tooth or compromise the aethetics or strength. Generally,
they cover the top of the tooth and go down the side of the tooth, holding
it together to prevent further damage to the teeth. Traditional crowns have
gold inside of them with porcelain bonded to the outside for aethetics. These
are sturdy and durable and hold up well to the 200 pounds of pressure put on
them during chewing function. The newer porcelain crowns are called "second-generation" materials because they are stronger and more durable than the original porcelain type
materials that were used thirty years ago. These new materials have more flex,
better wear, more translucency to match the natural color of your teeth and
they bond better to either the tooth or the metal underneath the porcelain
on the porcelain/metal crowns. fixed prosthetic restoration placed on both
vital and dead teeth after their prior grinding.
. Dental Bridge – it is placed when there are one or more teeth missing and the objective is to stabilize the bite, prevent the adjacent teeth from
tilting, and the opposing teeth from dropping down into the space that has
been lost. When there is no adjacent tooth on one side, we may do a cantilever
bridge, which is supported by only one tooth. (It can have two teeth on one
side and then extend out on the other by itself.).
. Dental Implant - is typically a titanium screw that is placed into the jaw bone in the area that a tooth is lost. It is left in the bone for a period
of approximately 4-6 months to let it "fuse" with the adjacent bone.
At this point, a metal top is placed on the screw post to create a hole in
the gum for the crown to emerge from. After that has been in the tissue for
a short while, then a crown can be placed over that post. It is either cemented
or screwed in, depending upon the type of implant system.
Advantages of implants are that they don't involve the adjacent teeth and therefore
are more conservative in that respect. In addition, should something happen
to the implant (porcelain chip, adjacent teeth turn darker over time) the crown
can usually be easily removed and sent back to the lab for a touch-up to correct
anything.
. Dentures – generally refers to the replacement of an entire arch of teeth with an appliance with either plastic or porcelain teeth on it. Replacing teeth is easier than ever before with the multitude of denture alternatives
available to patients. Dentures are now more comfortable and affordable than
ever before. With regards to material, we distinguish the following types of
dentures: metal, acrylic, porcelain, metal-acrylic, metal-porcelain. If there
are a few teeth left, then it is referred to as a Partial denture. Removable
dentures - placed on foundation and removed by the patient (frame denture,
functionally unstable denture, overdenture). Fixed dentures - permanently connected
to pillar teeth.
|
|
