What Is a Prosthodontist?
Seattle, WA
 Having your teeth professionally cleaned and examined at least twice a year is essential for helping you to prevent serious oral health issues from arising. However, even with the best oral care, issues can still occur. When certain issues arise, a dental specialist is needed. At Pacific Modern Dentistry, we specialize in Prosthodontics.
What is a Prosthodontist?
There are currently nine formal dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, one of which is Prosthodontics. All dentists attend four years of dental school and training. Prosthodontists, as well as other dental specialists, go on to undergo 2 to 3 additional years of in-depth education and training in their chosen field. A prosthodontist is a dentist who specializes in restoring damaged teeth as well as replacing missing teeth, which helps you to restore and maintain a beautiful, healthy smile.
Dealing with Damaged Teeth
Damaged teeth can pose serious oral health risks. While minor damage that only affects the enamel usually only poses cosmetic issues, deeper damage that extends into the inner layers of the teeth can allow bacteria inside. Bacteria inside of the tooth can lead to a painful infection. Untreated infections can allow bacteria into the bloodstream, which can then lead to serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. There are several different treatments that may be used to fix damaged teeth, including:
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Dental bonding. This uses a composite resin material to correct minor flaws in your teeth.
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Veneers. Veneers are another treatment for minor damage that is often made of porcelain. They effectively cover imperfections in the teeth, restoring their appearance.
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Fillings, as well as inlays and onlays, to treat cavities.
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Dental crowns. Crowns are small caps that cover the entire visible surface area of damaged teeth, effectively holding them together, restoring strength, and preventing infections.
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Extractions. In some cases, severely damaged teeth may need to be extracted and then replaced. |
Replacing Missing Teeth
As Prosthodontists, we also specialize in replacing teeth. Tooth loss can occur for many reasons, including gum disease, facial trauma, and severe tooth decay. Whether the teeth fall out on their own or they need to be extracted, missing teeth need to be replaced. Tooth loss has a significant impact on your smile, as well as your confidence. It also has a major impact on the functions of your mouth and your oral health. Missing teeth make it more difficult to bite and chew, which can impact your digestion and your nutrition. Tooth loss affects your speech, leading to a lisp or other problems. Tooth loss also causes bone loss in your jaw, which then causes your jaw to change shape. This alters your bite, which can lead to tooth damage, bruxism, and problems with your temporomandibular joints.
Options for Replacing Missing Teeth
There are several options available for replacing missing teeth:
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Bridges. A bridge is a restoration that is commonly used to replace a single missing tooth but can replace up to three consecutive missing teeth. A fixed bridge consists of a Pontic tooth with a crownon each side. The crowns anchor the bridge into place on the adjacent healthy teeth.
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Dentures. Dentures are removable prosthetic teeth that can replace sections of teeth or a full arch. They consist of acrylic resin teeth set into an acrylic base. The base is supported by your gums.
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Dental implants. Implants are the most recent addition to your tooth replacement options. This treatment uses small titanium posts to support your replacement teeth. The posts are surgically implanted into your jawbone, and your bone fuses to the posts, stabilizing them in your jaw. Implants are the only option that can stop and prevent bone loss in your jaw. |
If your teeth are in need of restoration or replacement, you should be treated by an experienced prosthodontist. For more information and to schedule your consultation, call Pacific Modern Dentistry at (206)284-4505 today. |
