What are the types of dentures?

At the Sirius Dent Medical Center, depending on the needs and wishes of the patient, we offer options for both budget prosthetics and the most modern dental prostheses.

Is an implant a prosthesis?

An implant can be considered a more modern type of dental prosthesis, because it performs the same function as a prosthesis. Dental implantation involves the installation of an artificial root made of titanium in the jaw bone, on which a crown is subsequently worn. Therefore, it is somewhat easier here to create the effect of a tooth that has erupted with the help of mucogingival surgery (gum plastic). The advantage of implantation is that to restore a missing tooth, it is not necessary to prepare nearby ones – the dental surgeon works only on the area or areas of the missing teeth. In this way, as many implants as needed can be installed. Usually, only six implants are enough for the complete restoration of the dentition of the lower jaw, and eight of the upper jaw, between which there are bridge-like prostheses. Alternatively, our dent medical center has an “all in 4” option for patients with secondary dentition, which involves the installation of four implants to which a removable or fixed prosthesis will be attached. Then the tooth row will have only 10 teeth instead of the proper 14, but this will be enough to compensate for the functions.

Can a prosthesis replace an implant?

Implantation has almost no contraindications, but sometimes before it, patients need to undergo a surgical intervention to restore bone tissue (for example, sinus lifting or splitting of the alveolar ridge). For those who do not have the desire or the opportunity to do implantation, a good alternative is the brace prostheses. This is a metal structure to which artificial teeth are attached in the right places, and the worn prosthesis creates the impression of a full set of teeth. As with dental implantation, there is no need to process the remaining teeth during the manufacture of the bygel prosthesis. At the same time, at the request of the patient, the metal base of the prosthesis can be given an interesting and unusual shape (plant, dragon, animal, ornament), so it will be not only a replacement of teeth, but also an aesthetic jewelry that is pleasant to wear.

What are removable prostheses?

Fully removable dentures are divided into lamellar and fixed dentures. Plates are the most budget-friendly option and often the least comfortable to wear compared to removable dentures of the new generation. Their task is not to restore the masticatory function, but to maintain the interalveolar height and prevent the formation of an “aging profile” (sinking of the cheeks and lips and protrusion of the chin). Such a prosthesis is best suited as a temporary one, while a person waits for the installation of implants.

Bügel dentures are a more complex engineering design. They consist of a metal spider-like base, to the “legs” of which artificial teeth are attached in the right places. They are fixed on attachmen (special fasteners for orthopedic dental structures), lock, telescopic or clasp fasteners (dental prostheses on hooks). The dentist takes into account the position and action of the opposing teeth during chewing, so a high-quality bygel prosthesis not only looks aesthetically pleasing, but also restores the ability to fully chew food.

False teeth require mandatory hygiene. They must be removed and cleaned after eating. If you take this into account, the removable prosthesis will last a long time.

What are fixed prostheses?

Fixed dentures are artificial crowns that are worn over teeth that are more than 50% decayed (single-tooth dentures) or replace several missing teeth and are attached to those remaining in the jaw (bridges). Fixed prostheses are metal, metal-ceramic, zirconium, ceramic.

Before placing dentures, destroyed teeth (usually they no longer have a nerve) are prepared, giving them the shape of a truncated cone. A crown is worn on top, which repeats the natural shape of the tooth. Facets are located between the crowns to compensate for the missing teeth — thus, the patient receives a permanent single structure made of several teeth in a row.

Is it possible to restore the outer teeth in a row with a prosthesis?

For people who are missing the outermost teeth in the row – sixth and seventh – there are two options for restoring a tooth. The first is a dental implant, and the second is a variation of a bridge, called a Brooklyn or Maryland bridge.

Crowns are placed on the remaining teeth (fourth or fifth), and an element holding two artificial teeth is attached to the distal crown. Due to the spring, these outer teeth are pressed against the mucous membrane of the jaw, making chewing possible. And in order to thoroughly clean the mucous membrane under the prosthesis, you need to pull the prosthesis, and the spring will push away from the mucous membrane. After the hygiene procedures are completed, the bridge is returned to its place. This design has not been widely distributed due to the complexity of manufacturing, but our dental laboratory takes on such orders.

Why does a prosthesis not always look like a natural tooth?

After all, a denture is not a real tooth that has cut through the gums. The task of the dental technician and dentist when creating a prosthesis is to give it the necessary mechanical and physical properties. A dentist understands prosthetics as the manufacture of a structure that must perform functional work (chewing) with the help of a defined surface shape and have sufficient strength, because the compressive force of the jaws in a person is 250 kg/cm², and the structure must withstand this. And it is also necessary to distribute the load proportionally between the teeth and the prosthesis. Only after all these engineering tasks have been solved, the dental technician begins to think about how to make the prosthesis look like a tooth: he chooses a material that is as close as possible to real teeth in color, texture and light-reflecting properties. If it was successful, and the dental surgeon created optimal conditions, the prosthesis will not differ in appearance from a real tooth.

But due to the anatomical features of the patient’s jaw and teeth and the situation in the oral cavity, such an ideal result is not always obtained, and the prosthesis, although similar to the teeth, is not identical to them. For example, the most sensitive place where the prosthesis differs from the erupted tooth is the cervical area, the point of contact between the tooth and the gum. It is here that the bridge-like prosthesis can stand out a bit, causing the patient’s misunderstanding.

Are there alternatives to prosthetics?

An alternative to prosthetics is dental implantation. Implants look more like a tooth that has erupted and serve a person for the rest of his life. In the Sirius Dent Medical Center, the patient can choose from several types of implants – Nobel, Straumann, INNO or B&B Dental. Since many of our patients come from outside Ukraine, we advise you to take into account the availability of the chosen model in the place of permanent residence. We are often asked if it hurts to put dental implants, and we can answer that it is not, because all operations are carried out under sedation without pain and stress.

Another option for restoring a tooth is replantation. This is an operation to transplant an eight with a removed nerve to a place of a six, which has an indication for removal. Since not all people have wisdom teeth, and if they do, they tend to decay earlier than others, such an operation is rarely performed and mostly for children or teenagers, for whom dental implantation is impossible due to their young age. Then it is not about a tooth that has already erupted, but about its embryo, which in the best case will replace the missing tooth, and in the worst case – will save space in the jaw for further prosthetics.

How to prepare for prosthetics?

Before prosthetics, it is necessary to treat all damaged teeth, eliminate foci of inflammation, periodontitis, pulpitis and carious cavities. Teeth that are less than half destroyed are restored with fillings, those with less than 50% remaining are covered with crowns, and those that have indications for removal are removed. When the holes heal, the oral cavity is ready for wearing a removable prosthesis.

In order to wear permanent crowns or bridge-like prostheses, the teeth are prepared and filed with boron. When the oral cavity is properly prepared, the dentist takes impressions for the fabrication of prostheses and determination of central occlusion (maximum closing of the teeth).

Next, the dental laboratory makes a prosthesis, and if it is a fixed structure, it is installed on the patient immediately without try-ons. Removable prostheses usually require fitting and adjustment.