Restorative Dentistry

Which Qualifications Does A Prosthodontist Have?

A prosthodontist will have received their education via a prosthodontic ADA-accredited graduate program. To qualify as a prosthodontist, an individual must have completed their bachelor’s degree followed by a minimum of 4 years in dental school. This must then be followed by an additional three years residency training. Not only that, but specialized prosthodontists must continue to stay up-to-date with recent industry developments so they can be recertified every 8 years.

Dental Restorations and Oral Rehabilitation Treatment Options

A prosthodontist spends the majority of their day treating, diagnosing and restoring their patients’ oral health through the use of artificial devices. Part of their role involves specializing in placing veneers, dentures, bridges, implants and crowns.

Dentures

Prosthodontists offer a range of restorative treatments, but dentures are, by far, the most commonly used. When somebody loses some or all of their own natural teeth due to tooth decay, injury or gum disease, artificial teeth can replace the tooth or teeth that are missing. Dentures can help to fill out a patient’s facial profile, improving their appearance while making it simpler to chew, speak and eat normally. There are several kinds of dentures available to suit different patients’ needs including fixed-partial, complete, implant-based, immediate or removable dentures.

Porcelain Veneers

These tooth-colored, thin shells cover misaligned, damaged, discolored or crooked teeth. These permanent restorations change the size, shape, function, color or length of teeth. A prosthodontist specializes in carrying out porcelain restorations. Porcelain is the material most commonly used for creating veneers due to its ability to resist stains more effectively than veneers made from composite. Porcelain veneers last for as long as 15 years if they are properly cared for. Cosmetic dentists are also specialists in placing veneers.

Dental Crowns

An artificial dental crown is a tooth-colored cap which fits over teeth that have been damaged, restoring their natural function, look and shape. Depending on the patient’s needs and preferences, crowns may be made from ceramic, metal, composite resin or porcelain. A dental crown serves a number of functions when it comes to restorative dentistry, restoring cracked, worn-down, weak or discolored teeth. Following root canal treatments, prosthodontists often place artificial crowns onto the restoration to keep the teeth protected from damage.

Dental Implants

If a patient is missing a tooth due to severe decay, tooth extraction or injury, a dental implant can replace it. Implants are sometimes known as artificial tooth roots and their shape is very like a screw. The procedure involves the surgical insertion of the implant into the jawbone of the patient where it will bond with their natural bone. Typically, patients seek a dental implant because they have lost a tooth due to tooth decay. Implants may also be necessary because of old age, periodontal disease, injury, trauma or medications.

Fixed Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is a permanent fixed restoration which replaces a missing tooth or several missing teeth. Like a dental implant, a bridge can replace teeth that are missing due to decay, disease, injury or tooth extraction. These restorations typically consist of a metal and porcelain combination or porcelain on its own depending on how much the patient can afford to spend and the outcome they desire. In the most serious cases, the prosthodontist can position several bridges to provide full rehabilitation for the mouth. Four kinds of dental bridge are offered by prosthodontists: cantilever, implant-supported, Maryland and traditional bridges.

Dental Screening

Not only do prosthodontists provide dental restoration for patients who have extracted, damaged or missing teeth, but they also specialize in offering dental screening for commonly seen oral conditions. These include screenings for TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder), oral cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea. Prosthodontists cannot treat all these conditions, but they can treat temporomandibular joint disorder with splints and/or bite rehabilitation. Following diagnosis by a prosthodontist, patients must usually visit a general dentist, doctor or oral surgeon to get the treatment that they need.

TMD

Temporomandibular joint disorder is a common TMJD (temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder) which causes dysfunction and pain not only in the patient’s jaw itself but also in the facial muscles surrounding it. Patients who suffer from TMD will also struggle to control their jaw movements, and may experience frequent headaches and earaches as well as discomfort whenever they close or open their mouth.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This disorder can be characterized by blockages in the patient’s upper airway during sleep that causes breathing to stop and start in the night. Some common sleep apnea causes include jaw issues, cavities and teeth grinding (bruxism). People suffering from this disorder snore loudly and frequently, and may also have symptoms including poor concentration, morning headaches, memory loss and daytime sleepiness.

Oral Cancer

Mouth sores or ulcers, also called oral lesions, are sometimes the initial sign of an oral cancer. Appearing in the lips, mouth, palate, tongue, throat or surrounding areas, these lesions may not be cancerous in every case. A prosthodontist specializes in carrying out screenings for oral cancer during which they check the shape, size, symptoms and history of the patient’s lesion. Such screenings can determine whether the patient’s lesions are non-cancerous, pre-cancerous or cancerous.