What is Prosthesis? What Treatment Procedures Does It Cover?
Prosthesis is the field of dentistry that deals with artificial replacement of missing or lost teeth. Depending on the number, location and condition of the surrounding tissues, fixed restorations such as crown-bridge (veneer) or removable (attachment-removal-palate) prostheses can be preferred. Today, various types of prostheses can be made with the support of implant (titanium screw) systems developed as an alternative to natural teeth. The loss of a tooth can harm your health in many ways. The teeth in front of and behind the lost tooth bend towards this space. The opposing tooth also extends into the extraction space. As a result of this elongation and bending, the alignment of the teeth and their contact with each other are disrupted. This causes food residues and bacterial plaque to accumulate between the teeth. These areas are difficult to clean; therefore, the risk of tooth decay and gum disease increases.
All these problems can be prevented by replacing the lost tooth. However, replacing the missing tooth becomes a little more difficult after the adjacent teeth are bent and the opposing tooth elongates. Your dentist is your biggest helper in deciding which method is most suitable for you.
How many types of prosthetic treatments are there?
Prosthesis treatment is perhaps the most diverse department among dental treatments. We can briefly divide the prosthesis treatment into two main groups as fixed prostheses (crown bridge covering – implant treatment – nailed teeth) and removable prostheses (removable palate prostheses).
• Implant supported fixed prosthesis
• Fixed Prosthesis: Bridge prosthesis
• Removable prostheses (palatal prosthesis – partial prosthesis)
What are Fixed Prostheses? What Treatments Include?
It is a type of prosthesis that cannot be attached and removed by the patients. Depending on the case, inlay, onlay, lamina metal-supported and metal-free porcelain crowns are in this group.
What are Crowns and Bridges (Coatings)? In Which Situations?
Crowns (veneers) are the process of covering teeth with excessive decay, fracture or excessive material loss due to any other reason. Bridges are missing one or more teeth; They are prosthesis made by reducing the neighboring teeth and getting support from these teeth. The gap in the missing tooth part is also filled.
How Many Types of Crowns and Bridges Are There? What Materials Are Used for Crowns and Bridges?
In order to withstand chewing pressures, some materials should be used as infrastructure material under-inside porcelain crowns and bridges. Accordingly, coatings can be grouped under two main headings, with or without metal.
What is metal supported porcelain (ceramic) prosthesis? In what situations is it preferred?
Standard metal or precious metal can be used as infrastructure. The outer parts of these are covered with porcelain. Since metal is used as the infrastructure material, it may not fully meet the aesthetic expectations of the patient. Because no matter what kind of metal is used, grayness can be reflected from the gums and under the porcelain. It is preferred due to its low cost compared to metal-free porcelains.
What are metal-free full ceramic porcelain crowns (zirconium-empress)? In what situations is it preferred?
Materials other than metal are used as infrastructure material. For these, materials called zirconium and empress are mostly used today. They transmit light like natural teeth. Depth and vitality appear in the tooth made. It meets the aesthetic expectations of the patient at the highest level. Grayness does not reflect from the gums or porcelain gold. Therefore, it is preferred in patients with high aesthetic expectations.
Do zirconium supported prostheses break more easily?
Zirconium material is the material with the highest mechanical and fracture resistance among metal-free restorations. Empress material has somewhat poor mechanical properties in this regard. Empress is more durable than zirconium.
Do porcelain crown/bridge prostheses cause allergies?
The biocompatibility of metal-free porcelain is much better. Porcelains with zirconium and empress substructure do not cause allergies in the gums. They do not change color. It is quite compatible with the gingiva. However, there are varying amounts of nickel in the metal used in metal-supported crown/bridge coatings, and this material may cause allergies. It can also cause redness and inconsistency in the gingiva. Zirconium or empress supported porcelain veneers do not cause discoloration on the gingiva, they do not gray or stain the gingiva like metal-supported porcelain veneers.
Does the tooth decay in the prosthesis (veneer)?
Teeth are shrunk in certain amounts to make veneer/fixed porcelain prosthesis. Then a veneer/porcelain tooth is attached to it. The important thing is that the reduced tooth is properly reduced and the coating on it is compatible with the tooth. Because it is this incompatibility that causes the tooth to melt and decay under the veneer.