Prosthetics

Whether you’ve severely damaged or lost teeth due to aging, trauma, or oral health diseases, do not lose hope. You may be surprised that contemporary dental prosthetics not only look real but feel and function like natural teeth too. Dental prosthetics are dental appliances that can substitute a missing tooth or conceal abnormalities.

Five Major Advantages of Dental Prosthetics

If you are questioning whether you should get dental prosthetics or not, here are five benefits of dental prosthetics:

1. To fill in spaces and reconstruct your smile 
2. Restore your ability to chew properly
3. Restore proper speech patterns and pronunciation
4. Readjust the bite to distribute pressure when chewing
5. Prevent remaining teeth from migrating to a new, incorrect placement

Also, it’s noteworthy that when people decide on an implant-supported dental prosthetic (as opposed to a traditional version), it dramatically reduces the chance of jawbone atrophy (bone loss), which contributes to a change in face shape.

Crowns, bridges, dentures are three common types of dental prosthetics. 

Crowns

Dental crowns (or caps) encapsulate a single tooth and are typically bonded with dental cement. A dentist may recommend a crown to:

• Strengthen a tooth that has inadequate structure (such as, after too many fillings or a root canal)
• Protect a weakened tooth
• Hide a poorly shaped or discolored tooth
• Attach a dental bridge

Dental crowns can be made of several types of material, including metal alloys (like gold and Zirconia), ceramics, and porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM). However, deciding on the kind of material is mainly dependent on the tooth’s location and function. For example, you may opt for a metal crown in the back of the mouth because they are stronger than ceramic crowns. However, a ceramic crown that is colored matched to the teeth may be more aesthetically pleasing in the “smile zone.”

Bridges

If you have one or more missing teeth in a row, a dental bridge may be one of the best tooth replacement options. The two main types of dental bridges are: (1) a fixed bridge and (2) an implant-supported bridge.

For fixed bridges, a dentist uses existing natural teeth to anchor a bridge in place and a pontic (synthetic tooth) to replace missing teeth. Conversely, implant-supported bridges use several implant posts instead of existing teeth.

Dentures

Whether you need to replace a whole row or a whole set of teeth, dentures have you covered. Denture technology has come a long way, but the three main types of dentures are (1) partial, (2) complete, and (3) implant-supported.

Partial dentures cover multiple adjacent teeth, but a complete denture can replace an entire row of teeth. Unlike crowns and bridges, partial dentures and complete dentures are typically clipped into place and are removable for easy cleaning.

Like implant-supported bridges, implant-supported dentures are non-removable and rely on several dental implants to support a larger restoration.

Same-Day Restorations

Whether you’re from out of town, need a new restoration as soon as possible, or if you just want to take advantage of the latest dental technology, we’ve got you covered. We can create restorations right here in our office with our CAD/CAM machine, so you can get back to life as usual as soon as possible. 

Learn More About Dental Prosthetics in Whitehorse

A missing tooth is a serious concern. Not only can missing teeth add years to the appearance, but they can also impede how people communicate, eat, and smile. Also, when teeth are missing, they can cause shifts in alignment and crowd the remaining teeth (which can make it more challenging to clean, potentially leading to tooth decay and gum disease).

Thankfully, modern dental prosthetics are intended to replace teeth in form and function. If you are worried about the negative impacts of missing teeth, call (867) 668-6077 to schedule a consultation and learn more about prosthetics in Whitehorse.