Dental Prosthetics

What is understood by dental prosthetics?

Dental prosthetics offer a range of solutions, from crowns and bridges for individual teeth to partial dentures for reduced residual dentition. In the case of total tooth loss, the jaw can be fitted with a complete denture.

When do dental prosthetics become necessary?

For those who have lost one or more teeth due to severe disease or trauma, the idea of replacing them with artificial teeth can be daunting. However, dental prosthetics, whether fixed or removable, offer significant benefits. They are not just a cosmetic solution but a medical necessity that stabilises the remaining teeth and ensures effective chewing function, providing much-needed relief.

What are fixed dental prosthetics?

The dentist will use a crown when tooth decay is too advanced to restore the tooth with an inlay filling, and the crown needs stabilisation by encasing the walls. If a tooth is lost and a gap forms between two teeth, the dentist will stabilise it to prevent the neighbouring teeth from tipping into the gap or the opposing tooth from growing into it. If neighbouring teeth are slightly damaged, the dentist will ground them down and close the gap with a bridge. An implant is the preferred option to keep the neighbouring teeth healthy.

When are fixed dental prosthetics no longer possible?

When several teeth are missing, and the remaining teeth are not strong enough to support a fixed solution, a removable denture may be the best option. This could involve attaching the denture to the remaining teeth with clasps or double crowns, which is a stable and preferred solution. In the case of total tooth loss, the jaws can only be fitted with complete dentures, or implants can be used to create a new anchorage.