Prosthodontics is an important field of dentistry that focuses on improving and restoring your teeth and jaw structures in order to improve your facial aesthetics. There are several treatments that prosthodontists perform in order to give you the best results possible. Here are four great treatments that can make a huge difference.
Crowns
A dental crown is a cap that goes over an actual tooth or a dental implant. If attached to a tooth, the crown is cemented into place right onto the tooth. If the crown is placed on a dental implant, the first step is to secure the screw to your jaw bone. Next, an abutment will be attached to the screw. This abutment is what the dental crown is permanently attached to.
Crowns can do a lot to improve facial aesthetics and the overall look of your smile because they give you a beautiful tooth where there wasn’t one before. They can improve the shape, size, color, and overall appearance of a rotted, broken, or otherwise damaged tooth, and they can help create a full mouth that fills out your cheeks and lips.
Veneers
A veneer is a wafer-thin piece of porcelain that is made to go over your real tooth. Each veneer is attached to each tooth through a bonding process. The actual tooth is cleaned and then etched to create a rough surface. This allows the cement to more easily bond the veneer to the tooth.
Veneers can improve your facial aesthetics a great deal by giving you the size and shape that you desire for each tooth. Also, because veneers can be created to be whatever color you’d like them to be, you can have a bright, white smile. Having teeth that properly fit in your mouth can also help your face to look full and natural, and can even help to make your lips look fuller.
Bridges
If you have more than one missing tooth, a dental bridge is likely the form of treatment that your prosthodontist will recommend. A bridge uses a dental implant screw and an abutment, just as a crown does, but instead of one tooth, there is a bridge of teeth attached to the top. This bridge is made to blend in perfectly with the other teeth in your mouth and each tooth on the bridge is fully functional.
The placement of the bridge does a lot to restore the fullness of your face, which can really improve your facial aesthetics by reducing frown lines and other wrinkles. This will also ensure that both sides of your face are equally full, and one side doesn’t sink in more than the other.
Inlays and Onlays
A dental inlay is a filling that has been pre-made and is molded to fit into the grooves of the tooth, without going over the cusp. A dental onlay is similar, but instead goes up and over the actual cusp of the tooth. Inlays and onlays are often used when a cavity is too large for a traditional filling, but too small for a crown.
Both inlays and onlays help restore your facial aesthetics by creating teeth that are not only shaped properly, but they also cover up any darkness or discoloration created by the cavity. It will essentially look just like your tooth and no one will be able to notice the difference. This is especially important if the teeth with inlays and onlays are highly visible when you speak and smile.
Crowns, veneers, bridges, inlays, and onlays are all excellent prosthodontic treatments that can help restore your facial aesthetics and help you to feel your best. If you’re ready to improve your facial aesthetics with prosthodontics, schedule an appointment with us today!
