What Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment?

Prosthetic dental treatments refer to a series of procedures applied to restore teeth that are missing or damaged for any reason, for both functional and aesthetic reasons. Prosthetic dental treatment is applied with artificial teeth or veneers designed and prepared specifically for the person. Bridges, dentures, and implants are among prosthetic treatment procedures. Which treatments will be applied in accordance with the person's needs and conditions is decided by the dentist. The treatment process begins with a comprehensive analysis of the patient's oral structure and treatment planning. The prosthetic structure most compatible with the patient's oral structure is designed and applied. Patients regain the functions of their missing teeth. At the same time, oral and dental aesthetics are completed. Specialist Dentist Emin Serhat Arıkan, serving patients in Adana, explained for you what prosthetic dental treatment is and how it is applied.

What Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment?

Prosthetic dental treatments, also called dental prosthesis treatment, is the general name of treatment methods applied to increase people's quality of life and compensate for missing teeth aesthetically and functionally. In prosthetic treatments, teeth not only regain basic functions such as speaking and chewing, but the person also achieves aesthetic integrity. It provides both physiological and social improvement.

Dental health can be damaged due to genetic and environmental factors. In cases of tooth loss, prosthetic dental treatments are resorted to.

Why Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment Done?

Prosthetic dental treatment ensures the compensation of teeth lost over time with methods such as dentures, bridges, and implants. It is applied for both aesthetic and functional reasons.

Prosthetic dental treatments can be applied for purposes such as ensuring oral and dental aesthetics
Regaining the speaking and chewing function of teeth
Repairing damage in tooth enamel
Improving rough, broken, misshapen, and bad-looking teeth
Renewing intraoral surrounding tissues.

To Whom Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment Applied?

The main target audience of prosthetic dental treatments is people experiencing tooth loss or losing tissue and substance from their teeth. Also, prosthetic dental treatment can be applied to people who have lost their teeth as a result of serious diseases or trauma. Situations where prosthetic dental treatment can be applied are as follows:

People experiencing enamel losses
People experiencing aesthetic problems and wanting to correct this
People experiencing functional problems in their teeth as a result of traumas
People experiencing deformity in the jawbone can apply for prosthetic dental treatments.

How Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment Done?

Generally, fixed prostheses, removable prostheses, or implant-supported prostheses are used in intraoral restoration. The person's needs and oral infrastructure are taken into account in the selection of the prosthesis material to be used. While making a material preference, full porcelain (e-max), zirconium, or metal-supported restorations are generally used. The application stages of fixed prosthesis treatments are as follows:

Impression Taking and Preparation – Designs are carried out in a laboratory environment according to the original form of the tooth desired to be restored. The color tone is designed according to the enamel color.

Preliminary Rehearsal Stage – Tests and rehearsals are done to understand whether prostheses using full porcelain, zirconium, or metal material are compatible with the patient's mouth.

Final Rehearsal – A final rehearsal is performed at the last stage of restoration. The harmony of the designed porcelain structure with other teeth and tissues is checked. The prepared prosthesis is checked in terms of color, texture, and weight. Touches suitable for the patient's face and smile are made. In this process, the patient's approval is obtained at every stage. Following this stage, polish is applied in a laboratory environment for polishing the enamel structure.

Polishing and Cementation Stage of the Prosthesis – After the results coming from the laboratory are tested in the mouth for the last time, the fixation stage is started. The prosthesis is fixed using adhesive, and then parts constituting excess are cleaned. In this way, the restoration process is completed.

Post-Process Patient Information – The usage period of the restoration depends on care practices and the health of the tissues around the prosthesis. Therefore, the patient needs to be informed in detail about prosthesis care.

What Are the Treatment Methods Applied in Prosthetic Dental Treatment?

Bridge – Teeth on the right and left sides of the problematic enamel or tooth loss are reduced by filing. Then the bridge prosthesis is placed in the area that is a gap. In this way, the missing tooth region is filled.

Ceramic Veneer – If there is deformation in the enamel layer, the ceramic veneer method stands out when regional damages such as decay or fracture are in question. Ceramic veneer is quite successful especially in eliminating aesthetic problems.

Implant – Screws called implants are placed into the inner part of the designed prostheses and jawbone. These screws function like an artificial tooth root. Being applicable with a single enamel design without damaging other neighboring enamels provides a significant advantage.

Crown – Crown, or in other words, the veneering process, refers to filling or closing the gaps found between enamel. The enamel is cut at a certain rate and fixed by applying a veneer on it.

Removable Prostheses – Removable prostheses, also known as palate prostheses, are preferred in cases where the patient has lost all their teeth.

What Are the Types of Prostheses Used in Prosthetic Dental Treatment?

In prosthetic dental treatment, removable prostheses, fixed prostheses, or implant-supported prostheses can be used. If we need to explain the types of prostheses used in prosthetic dental treatments one by one:

Metal-Supported Porcelain Veneer – The inner part of these prostheses, whose external appearance is of porcelain material, is made with metal coating. The light transmittance of these prostheses is at a minimum level. That is, it can give an artificial appearance. Due to the color tone being dark, it is preferred in posterior teeth rather than anterior teeth.

Ceramic Veneer – Ceramic veneer, providing a more successful result aesthetically, is in a sense a more reinforced form of porcelain material. At the same time, since it shows similarity with natural teeth in terms of color, it is frequently preferred in anterior tooth regions. It is the prosthesis type offering the highest aesthetics.

Zirconium-Focused Veneer –The external appearance of these prostheses, whose inner part is produced from zirconium, is porcelain. They are successful restorations especially in the compensation of losses of implant-supported prostheses and posterior teeth.

Implant – In cases where there is complete enamel loss and which are not suitable for prosthesis coating, titanium screws in the form of nails are applied to the jawbone. While these screws serve as a tooth root, the enamel region can be completed with porcelain and zirconium material.