Prosthetic Treatments

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Prosthetic Treatments

The gap in the mouth that occurs as a result of the loss of teeth and teeth due to various factors causes the patient's functions such as chewing and speaking to be negatively affected. In addition, dental gaps also cause aesthetic concerns. This is where prosthetic dental treatment comes into play.

Prosthetic dental treatment is the process of replacing the function and aesthetics of lost teeth using various prostheses. Many alternative prosthesis methods can be applied in the rehabilitation of the missing tooth or area. With prosthetic dental treatments, different prostheses are applied instead of the lost tooth.

Who Performs Prosthetic Dental Treatments?

Prosthetic treatments are performed by prosthesis specialist dentists. These doctors, also called prosthetic dental treatment specialists, receive training in the department of prosthodontics in addition to dentistry. Prosthodontists, who have a very wide treatment area, deal with the fixed and removable prosthesis applications in the mouth, as well as supporting this tooth with porcelain veneers after root canal treatment.

Prosthetic dental treatments are often known as aesthetic dental treatments because prosthetic teeth are used instead of existing tissue. Although the aesthetic appearance is very important at this point, the main thing in prosthetic dental treatment is to regain the chewing and speaking skills of the person.

Who is Prosthetic Dental Treatment Applied to?

Prosthetic dental treatment is usually applied to patients who are late for dental treatment and have lost their teeth. Lost teeth can be regained with different types of prostheses. Prosthetic treatment methods make the person feel better in terms of function and aesthetics. While the chewing and speaking functions are restored to the person, the person is also made to feel good in terms of comfort and aesthetics.

Prosthetic dental treatments are one of the important branches of dentistry. The materials used in prosthetic dental treatment are in a wide range.

What are the Types of Prosthetics Used in Prosthetic Dental Treatment?

Fixed prostheses, removable prostheses and implant-supported prostheses are used in prosthetic dental treatment.

Fixed Dentures

Fixed dentures are a type of prosthesis made by taking support from existing healthy teeth or implants. These prostheses are fixed in the mouth with different chemicals. Commonly used fixed prosthesis types:

Crown - Coating: It can be defined as the elimination of factors that disrupt tooth integrity caused by large cavities and tooth fractures. In this way, the person's tooth integrity is preserved and the functionality of the tooth is restored.

Metal-Supported Porcelain Dental Coating: Although the outer part of this prosthesis type that is visible in the mouth is porcelain, the inside of the coating is made of metal. Therefore, although metal-supported porcelain coatings are aesthetically beautiful, they can cause problems in terms of naturalness. It is not recommended for patients with high aesthetic expectations to apply them on the front teeth.

Zirconium-Supported Dental Coating: Zirconium coatings, which have high light transmittance, are the coatings that are closest to the natural appearance in this respect. In these applications, also known as zirconium-supported porcelain coatings, the visible part of the tooth is made of porcelain and the inside is made of zirconium.

Ceramic Dental Veneer: Composite laminate or ceramic crown applications are performed without the need for much reduction of the tooth. There is no metal at the bottom of this type of veneer. Ceramic veneers are produced from reinforced porcelain. It is known as the most advanced type of veneer in terms of aesthetics. In this respect, it is frequently used especially for the restoration of front teeth.

Dental Bridge Application: In bridge treatment applied in cases where one or more teeth are lost, healthy teeth next to the existing tooth gap are used as bridge abutments. In bridge treatment, which can be done with different techniques such as traditional, winged and hanging, a prosthesis is applied instead of the lost tooth or group of teeth. Thus, the functionality and aesthetics lost by the person are restored.

Dental Implant Application: One of the most frequently used prostheses to restore the effects of tooth loss is the implant. Different types of prostheses can be placed on implants made by placing an artificial tooth root in the jawbone.

Removable Dentures

Removable dentures are also known as palatal prostheses. They are applied to patients who have lost all their teeth for different reasons. With the loss of all teeth, the person's lips curve inward, speech becomes impaired, and some sounds become impossible to make. This causes the person to look much older than they are. The biggest problem is the person's nutritional deterioration. When the chewing function is not fully performed, the person has difficulty consuming many foods.

Removable dentures are designed to be removable and receive support from the tissues in the mouth. In this way, the loss of function and aesthetics that occurs with the loss of all teeth can be eliminated.

Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures can be defined as the placement of fixed or removable dentures on existing or future implants. The basic principle in implant-supported dentures, which can be applied to people who have no teeth but have a suitable bone level for implants, is to ensure that the removable or fixed dentures hold.

The denture is fixed to the sockets in the implants in the jaw. In this way, the holding power of the dentures increases, giving the person better chewing and speaking functions. For fixed prosthesis, 4 to 6 implants are placed in the lower jaw and 6 to 8 implants are placed in the upper jaw, depending on the size of the jaw.

For removable prosthesis, there should be 2 to 4 implants in the lower jaw and at least 4 implants in the upper jaw. Implant-supported fixed prostheses and implant-supported removable prostheses can be made of materials such as metal, ceramic and zirconium.

Implant-supported prostheses prevent bone loss because they provide power transmission to the bone tissue. Thanks to these prostheses, smile aesthetics can be redesigned. Implant-supported prostheses made under appropriate conditions by specialist physicians can be used for many years.