Prostheses

The prosthesis is the branch of dentistry that deals with replacing one or more missing teeth, giving the patient back an aesthetic dentition, with the correct shape and function. Dental prostheses can be anchored to dental implants or natural teeth and can be divided into fixed dental prostheses and mobile (or removable) dental prostheses.

The fixed dental prosthesis.

It is the prosthesis that is requested most by the patient because it is more aesthetic than the mobile prosthesis and more comfortable as it is like having a natural tooth for the patient. It is performed in two sessions: in the first, the decayed tissue is removed, the remaining dental structure is refined and an impression is taken; in the second the prosthetic product is cemented. The type of prosthetic product proposed to the patient depends on the type of tooth and the amount of healthy dental tissue that remains after the removal of all the caries; The main types of fixed prostheses will now be listed, ordered from the smallest, in which a large part of the dental tissue is healthy, to the largest, where a large part of the tooth has been lost due to caries or fractures.

The inlay: it is the least invasive prosthetic product of all or the one used when a simple filling would be too large to ensure adequate resistance over time. Together with the dental crown it is the first choice in devitalized teeth.

The dental crown: consists of a shell that completely covers the tooth and is the single prosthesis par excellence given its use for many years; many scientific studies report 20-year successes of 90%. It is performed when the residual structure of the tooth is minimal and allows its integrity to be preserved because it transmits the loads of the tooth along its axis and does not create the wedge effect characteristic of economic amalgam fillings which tends to spread the dental walls leading them to fracture in the medium to long term.

Ceramic veneers: they are exclusively aesthetic prostheses that are cemented to the natural teeth of the frontal sectors, therefore only incisors and canines; allow you to give the patient a Hollywood smile without having to resort to lengthy orthodontic treatments with the appliance and without having to sacrifice large quantities of teeth thanks to the adhesive nature of the cementation technique. Given the aesthetic value of this treatment, several spaced sessions are required to allow the patient to carefully choose the color and shape of his new smile.

Bridges: they represent the analogues of crowns but bridges involve more teeth and have been routinely performed in dental offices for many years; they allow you to replace up to 5 dental elements and currently represent the only alternative for the patient who requires a fixed prosthesis but who refuses to perform the implant surgery. They are very aesthetic, functional and comfortable prostheses and with a confirmed long-term success.

The mobile dental prosthesis.

Mobile (or removable) dental prostheses are the cheapest solutions for the rehabilitation of patients who have lost many teeth; they are very versatile prostheses that can adapt to changes that the mouth undergoes over time such as tooth loss or bone resorption. Despite these advantages, mobile prostheses are less and less tolerated by patients both for the discomfort in having to remove them during ordinary hygiene maneuvers and for the fear that they may be removed during speech; the latter is actually unfounded because a removable dental prosthesis is stable and does not move either during chewing or during an interview.

An important advantage lies in the possibility of repairing the dental prosthesis following fractures due to falls or wear; with an alert call it is possible to return the repaired prosthesis the same day.