Dental prosthetic material

The materials used for dentures vary and determine the price depending on the design. Fixed dentures such as crowns and bridges are either made of metal, veneered with ceramics or not, or completely made of ceramics. Metals can be precious metals such as gold, non-precious metals consist of chrome – cobalt – molybdenum alloys.

Implants are either made of titanium or ceramics, as is the superstructure attached to them. The crown can consist of a metal framework veneered with ceramics or be completely made of ceramics. Removable dentures, such as a total prosthesis, are either completely made of plastic or a plastic base with ceramic teeth.

Partial dentures consist of metal parts with metal brackets or cast clips and plastic or ceramic teeth. Telescopic dentures are also combined works made of metal and plastic or ceramic. In case of fixed dentures it is possible not to use metal and to make crowns, inlays, onlays, partial crowns, veneers as well as bridges completely from ceramic.

In the case of implants, there are now implants made of zirconium oxide, a type of ceramic, where the abutment and the crown sitting on it are also made of ceramic and thus completely metal-free. In the case of removable dentures, the total prosthesis is made of plastic or a combination of plastic and ceramic teeth, which is therefore also metal-free. For model casting dentures, telescopic dentures and similar removable variants, the clasps and denture bracket and base are always made of metal. Metal-free variants are being researched, but are not on the market.

Cleaning of the denture

The cleaning of dentures differs in the way whether the denture is fixed or removable. Fixed dentures such as crowns or bridges are cleaned like your own teeth. They are cleaned with a toothbrush and toothpaste at least twice a day.

In the interdental spaces, crowns are cleaned with dental floss or interdental brushes, while bridge elements are cleaned with special dental floss with a reinforced end and a fluffy middle section. This piece is threaded under the bridge pontic to be able to clean under it as well. For removable dentures toothpaste is not necessary.

A toothbrush and a conventional detergent should be used to remove food particles from the denture, again at least twice a day, preferably immediately after eating. In case of harder deposits and tartar, ultrasonic cleaning is recommended, in which the denture is placed in an ultrasonic bath and the ultrasonic waves blast off the deposits without stressing the materials. This procedure can be done once or twice a day. Dental prosthesis cleaners in tablet form are also often used as a support. Home remedies such as diluted citric acid solution or acetic acid solution can also remove hard deposits, but due to the acidity they are not as gentle as the ultrasonic bath and can damage the materials of the denture over a longer period of time.