Dental prosthesis is one of the dentistry specialty.  Dentistry Students, after getting general practitioner degree which takes 6 years, can give the assistant exam and if they pass the exam, they are able to continue their education on the prosthodontics which became very popular these days, and it takes 4 years to become a prosthodontist. The prosthodontics due to being a vast science, contains some subdivisions such as: implant, jaw and facial prosthesis, discomfort of the jaw and temporal joint. (Prosthodontics can participate in each subdivision exam and if they pass, it takes 1 to 1.5 year to get the related qualification.

The definition of dental prosthesis

Any artificial member replaced to a natural body member is called prosthesis. And dental prosthesis are artificial members replaced to the teeth, dental tissues or jaw and consists of 3 main categories:

1. Fixed prosthesis: (dental crowns, screws)
2. Removable prosthesis: ( complete or partial dentures)
3. Facial prosthesis (prosthesis of eyes, nose, and jaw etc.)

These kinds of implants can remain on the dental crowns and roots, or to be mount on the facial or dental tissues or if there will be an implant they can be mount on it. The purpose of dental prosthesis is returning normal oral functions (chewing, speaking and ingestion) to the patient and also creating a better appearance.

What is a fixed prosthesis and how is it made?

A dental fixed prostheses are dental crowns which will be cemented on your natural remaining tooth. If your tooth requires restorations of the root, or dental crowns which it may require dental fillings and in advanced restorations it may need post and core (is a durable treatment). After all, custom made crown which requires many sessions to be made, will be cemented on the natural crown.

It’s worth mentioning, the prosthodontics decides if a surgery is required for lengthening the natural crown in the case of it’s not long enough, or there is an intensive decay inside the root. This surgery would be done before crown’s molding and it needs 3 weeks for the gum recovery.

Fixed prosthesis can be mount on the implants which should be surgically positioned into the gum before the process of making prosthesis would begin. After the process of joining the implant to the bone, the prosthesis treatment will begin.

Fixed dental prosthesis

As we can append two or more dentins to construct a dental bridge and fill the gaps with fixed prosthesis, in the implant therapy, we can also alternate more missing teeth with using less implants in fixed prosthesis.

Despite roots seem irreparable sometimes, they can be preserved with crown lengthening surgery or root remedy by just a dental crown. It’s better to avoid root extraction as much as possible and use them just in the case of last recourse.

Fixed prosthesis mostly have adequate function and aesthetic appearance. Thus in the case of being toothless completely, the first solution is fixed prosthesis (just if the conditions of the jawbone would be adequate.)

What is the fixed prosthesis made of?

The fixed prostheses can be made of porcelain or porcelain-metal. The prostheses which are made of all ceramic or all porcelain (called zirconia despite the fact that just some of them have made of zirconium) are perfect in solidity and aesthetic and they are widely produced all over the world. The fixed prosthesis of metal-ceramic (PFM) or metal-porcelain are most commonly used prosthesis, as they were in the past, and they consist of two layers. The lower layer made of metal alloy which is solid and aesthetic and is covered by the upper layer called porcelain.

Removable dental prosthesis

Removable dental prosthesis mostly used when there are many missing tooth and it can be removed by the patients at times they don’t need them. There are two kinds of removable dental prosthesis: partial and complete. Complete removable prosthesis (also called denture) is made of acryl (polymer) and used when the patient has lost all the teeth of upper and lower jaw. These prosthesis will be mount on the gum and mucus but if the gum has been extremely dissolved and the bones would be lost, patients face lots of problems in this kinds of prosthesis therapy.

Nowadays, dental prosthesis can be a great aim for improving these dentures and both jaws are going to need prostheses (2 for lower jaw and 4 for upper one) called over denture.

It’s worth mentioning that these prostheses are removable and after each meal they should be removed and cleaned. The presence of implants in these prostheses is a privilege because they retain dentures while chewing and speaking and they extremely reduce the looseness of the dentures. On one hand, Patients have better feelings about their denture, on the other hand, these implants protect and preserve the jawbone so the face appearance won’t get harmed due to the bone loss. The structure of the prosthesis with the implant-base is similar to the lock and the key, which some bottom-like components will be mounted on the implants and in the prostheses to keep them stable.

Partial removable prostheses are made when the patient has lost some of his teeth but some others are available, and on the other hand, due to some conditions, the fixed prosthesis treatment or dental bridge are not possible.

These types of prostheses made of acrylic and metal have hooks to capture existing teeth, and sometimes the remaining teeth require treatments such as custom-made crowns or root treatments.

It should be noted that the implant can also be used to help intake these types of prostheses.

Partial removable prostheses are made when the patient has lost some of his teeth but some others are available, and on the other hand, due to some conditions, the fixed prosthesis treatment or dental bridge are not possible.

(Removable dental prosthesis (denture)

In general, if more implants are available, then prosthodontics treatments become permanent prostheses. Which is very desirable for the patient, but unfortunately due to physical problems or lack of adequate bone or economic conditions it is not possible sometimes.