Dental prosthesis (synonym: prosthetics) has, according to the literal sense, the task to replace partially lost tooth substance or teeth. In fact, prosthetic work can be manufactured today in a wide range of variations and with the highest precision. Despite the technical possibilities, patients should nevertheless be aware that even the highest-quality prosthetics are replacements for natural tooth substance, in the maintenance of which it is worth investing energy and perseverance.
If the tooth substance has been lost or the tooth has even been lost, modern prosthetic dentistry can restore the natural function and aesthetics. Depending on the requirements of the construction, metal alloys, tooth-colored plastics and ceramics are used. In some cases, it is advisable to make surgical improvements to the denture bed (preprosthetic surgery; lip ligament removal) before fabricating the denture. As a result, the patient receives natural-looking dentures that are ideally indistinguishable from natural teeth and that contribute to self-confidence and enjoyment of life at any age.
Prosthetic restoration can be systematically divided into:
I. Fixed prosthesis
Fixed dentures consist of:
- Partial crowns
- Full crowns, supported by natural teeth or implants: All-ceramic crowns, electroformed crowns, CAD/CAM dentures.
- Veneers (veneers)
- Bridges: Adhesive bridge (adhesive bridge), split bridge, ceramic veneer bridge, plastic veneer bridge, superstructure on implants, zirconia dentures, galvano bridges, CAD/CAM dentures.
II. denture
1. removable dentures:
- Partial dentures (partial dentures), which are differentiated between switching dentures (replacement between natural teeth) and free-end dentures (limited only on one side of natural teeth): Model cast prosthesis, Immediatprothese (immediate prosthesis).
- Total dentures (full dentures): to replace all the teeth of a jaw.
2. combined fixed-removable dentures:
- Telescoping restorations: Removable bridges or partial dentures are anchored with telescoping double crowns (telescopic dentures), where the so-called primary crown is firmly cemented to the tooth, but the secondary crown is anchored in the removable bridge or partial denture.
- Restorations with anchors, bars and attachments.
- Cover denture prosthesis (cover prosthesis)
- Implant-supported removable dentures
The following are the main services of prosthodontics.
