Prosthodontists Dentists

If you’re considering aesthetic dental treatment to enhance your smile while maintaining optimal oral health, you may be wondering which type of dentist is right for you. A general dentist providing cosmetic dental services may spring to mind, particularly if, like many people, you don’t know what a prosthodontist does.

Any regular dentist can offer cosmetic treatment because it’s not an officially approved specialty. Prosthodontics, on the other hand, is a recognized field of dental specialism. This means prosthodontists have in-depth knowledge of aesthetic, restorative dental procedures through advanced training. And this makes them the most qualified dental professionals to give you an attractive, healthy smile. A further difference between prosthodontics and regular dentistry is that prosthodontists are able to handle more complex restorative and aesthetic procedures, including oral surgery.

What Makes Prosthodontists Different from Regular Dentists?

General, regular dentistry provides routine dental care including check-ups and teeth cleaning, and procedures such as fillings and tooth extraction. Some may choose to get extra, basic training in particular procedures, such as cosmetic dentistry. Prosthodontists, however, are dental specialists who have undertaken extensive, highly focused training in replacing missing teeth and restoring damaged teeth.

Unlike general dentists, prosthodontists are recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA) as expert specialists in aesthetic restoration and replacement of teeth to achieve optimum oral function and appearance.

Specialist Training

All dentists have studied at dental school for four years to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). Prosthodontists undertake a further three years of specialized training through an ADA-accredited program at a hospital or university. This graduate prosthodontic curriculum includes lectures, seminars, reviews of prosthodontic scholarly papers, and laboratory and clinical training in all aspects of dental health and restoration. While there are nearly 200,000 regular dentists in the U.S., there are only around 3,500 qualified prosthodontic specialists.

Formal Recognition

Prosthetic dentistry is one of only nine recognized dental specialties in the U.S., alongside disciplines such as periodontics (gum disease treatment), pediatric dentistry (children’s dentistry), and orthodontics (correcting teeth and jaw misalignment). The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) was established in 1970 as the national prosthodontic organization.

Advanced Technology and Expertise

With the help of advanced dental technology, prosthodontists offer a broad range of treatments to replace teeth and restore smiles. They use this technology and their expertise in their focus on both oral function and facial appearance, ensuring a strong bite force with artificial teeth that look natural and attractive.

Prosthodontic Treatments to Replace Teeth

Prosthetic dentistry offers an array of tooth replacement solutions to restore oral function, smiles, and self-confidence. These procedures include:

Dental Implants

Dental implants are the only tooth replacement system that promotes jawbone growth to prevent weakening of facial structure. A dental implant is a small titanium rods that’s surgically inserted into the socket of a missing tooth. An artificial tooth root is created as the titanium fuses with bone in the jaw. A crown is then attached to the implant. Implants allow you to eat and speak as normal and are stain resistant. They also provide a better bite action than dentures or bridges. All-on-4 dental implants – full-arch fixed implant bridges – provide an alternative to conventional implants. They can replace all your teeth in a single day, with fewer implants.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap left by missing teeth by replacing them with artificial teeth. Bridges are made of porcelain, alloys or gold, or a mixture of these materials. They’re fixed onto adjacent teeth for support. Bridges ensure even distribution of bite pressure, prevent remaining teeth from shifting out of place, and maintain facial shape.

Dentures

Through technological advances, dentures today look more natural and fit more comfortably.

There are two main types of dentures:

  • Full dentures (a complete set) to replace all the teeth.
  • Partial dentures to replace a single tooth or a few teeth.

You can also get dentures supported by implants.

Smile Enhancement Procedures for Damaged or Stained Teeth

Besides replacing teeth, prosthodontists provide cosmetic dentistry to enhance smiles with treatments such as:

Dental Crowns

A dental crown encases the entire surface of a tooth to strengthen function and enhance appearance by restoring natural shape, size and color. Crowns – made from porcelain or metal – repair damage in cases of large cavities or cracked teeth, and can also be used with dental implants, after root canal treatment, to secure a denture or bridge, and to improve appearance of an irregularly shaped tooth.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are tooth-colored wafter-thin shells that are attached to the front of teeth. They enhance tooth shape, size and color, and conceal dental imperfections such as stains and chipping. Veneers made with porcelain are often preferred for a more natural look – the translucent medical-grade ceramic material interacts with light in the same way as dental enamel.

Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening is more effective than over-the-counter whitening products, and results in brighter teeth faster. You can have your teeth whitened in the dental office or get custom-made whitening trays to use at home.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is used in prosthodontics to treat injury, disease and abnormalities affecting the mouth, face, jaws and neck. These procedures include:

  • Orthognathic surgery (corrective jaw surgery) to reposition the upper jaw, lower jaw, or chin, to correct dental and skeletal irregularities.
  • Palatoplasty (cleft palate surgery) to close a split in the roof of the mouth, caused by a combination of genetics and other factors.
  • Maxillofacial surgery to repair broken bones due to facial trauma.
  • Surgery to remove a section of tissue for a biopsy to diagnose or discount oral cancer.
  • Surgery to correct severe cases of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
  • Extraction of impacted wisdom teeth – when the teeth remain lodged beneath the gum lime.

Anesthesia and Sedation for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Outpatient oral and maxillofacial surgery can be performed with either general anesthetic or local anesthesia.

Sedation options to counter dental anxiety include:

  • Oral sedation – relaxant medication taken ahead of the procedure in the form of a pill.
  • Inhalation of nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
  • IV (intravenous) sedation administered via a vein the arm or back of the hand.

Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics

From a single dental crown to full mouth reconstruction, prosthodontic dentists and oral surgery specialists at Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics in Spokane Valley, WA provide comprehensive prosthodontic care. With highly skilled, experienced prosthodontic practitioners working with superior dental technology, and with total control of dental restoration fabrication in our own, on-site lab, we’re able to guarantee outstanding smiles.

Contact us to discover how we can transform your smile, improve your dental health, and restore your self-esteem. We look forward to hearing from you!