What Is A Dental Prosthetic?

Dental prosthetics are used to reconstruct defects that are intraoral (inside the mouth), usually missing teeth, but they can also be designed to replace missing parts of teeth, missing tissue, and hard structures of the palate or jaw, as well. The most commonly known prosthesis is probably dentures, but others include partial dentures, dental implants, and bridges. These constructions usually consist of prosthetic (false) teeth, a base to hold the teeth, and some sort of attachment to secure them inside the mouth.

Missing Teeth

A missing tooth/teeth is the most common reason people need prosthetics. For patients missing a single tooth, a bridge or implant are choice treatments. For those missing a few teeth in a row, a bridge is common. For missing teeth that aren’t in a row, a partial denture is often the treatment of choice, and for patients who are edentulous, meaning they have no natural teeth remaining, dentures or implant-retained dentures are treatment options.

One missing tooth may seem easy to ignore, but even a single missing tooth can lead to more serious dental issues, and missing teeth not only affect you physically, but emotionally as well.

Loss of self-esteem and confidence: Even a single missing tooth can make you self-conscious or embarrassed enough to avoid smiling and cause you to lose confidence.

An aged appearance in your face: The root of your tooth helps keep your jawbone healthy and strong. When the root is missing the bone in that area begins to die which can cause a sunken aged appearance in your face. This can lead to a loss of self-confidence and self-esteem, as well.

Other issues include:

• Increased risk of tooth decay
• Misaligned teeth and bite
• Difficulty chewing and speaking
• TMJ disorders

Share this Article