Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about prosthodontics but were afraid to ask

What is prosthodontics?

Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry that focusses on the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and maintenance of the mouth function. It is also used to improve the comfort, appearance, and health of patients with conditions associated with missing or failing teeth.

prosthodontics-in-hammersmithWhat is a prosthodontist?

A prosthodontist is a dentist who has completed dental school plus three additional years of advanced training. They specialise in treating and handling dental and facial problems that involve restoring missing tooth and jaw structures.

Prosthodontic treatments

Prosthodontic treatments are designed to create a balance between function, longevity and aesthetics. Prosthodontic treatments at Kings Dental Clinic include dental implants, dental veneers and other bonded restorations, dental crowns and dental bridges.

As well as these, prosthodontics treatments can also include removable complete dentures. Complete dentures help people who have lost all their teeth due to trauma or poor oral hygiene, giving them better chewing abilities in addition to a more appealing appearance.

In addition to these, the prosthodontist is also able to provide treatments for jaw problems, snoring disorders, sleep apnea problems and a degree of reconstruction surgery following treatments for oral cancer.

Full mouth rehabilitation

Full mouth rehabilitation treatment improves the appearance of the teeth and has several less obvious benefits. Full mouth rehabilitation is one of the most comprehensive forms of dental treatment that is currently available.

The process combines all dental specialties to individually reconstruct all the damaged teeth in the mouth. This helps to correct a variety of complaints, such as improper bite position and chipped, worn down or broken teeth.

Full mouth rehabilitation is widely considered to be preferable to offering patients removable dental restorations such as dentures.

Anyone considering a full mouth rehabilitation should first consult with an experienced dentist, such as those at Kings Dental Clinic in Hammersmith, who will perform a comprehensive examination to see if the treatment is the best course of action.

The dentist will also consider aesthetics, including the colour, shape, size and proportion of the teeth and consider whether there is a stable bite when deciding if a patient is suitable for full mouth rehabilitation.

The decision on which procedures are required during each full mouth rehabilitation ultimately lies with the dentist and any specialists working with them on behalf of the patient.