Dental implants are titanium screws, which are surgically
placed into the
jawbone and restored with screw-retained crowns or multiples of crowns.
In multiples, they can be fixed or removable. Generally they are placed
by
Periodontists or Oral Surgeons and then restored by a Prosthodontist.
A Prosthodontist is usually consulted first to do the planning, and
he/she then
refers the patient to the appropriate surgeon. Careful treatment planning
is
required needing special x-rays and often models to decide upon the
correct
site for the placement of the implants for maximum aesthetic and functional
effect.
Not all patients are suitable, but in appropriate cases, the success
rate is in
excess of 90%. Single teeth or all teeth can be replaced. Treatment
may take
six months or more, or in suitable cases it can be done on the same
day.
| |
Before
implant
|
|
After
Implant
|
| |
 |
|
 |
Crowns
Crowns are caps made from porcelain
or porcelain supported by a suitable
metal (for extra strength) made to match the adjacent teeth in shape,
size and
colour. They are used to restore heavily filled or weakened teeth
and sometimes
to improve the appearance of teeth.
Bridges
Bridges are cemented prostheses, using crowns on adjacent teeth
to support a
missing tooth or teeth.
| |
Before Maryland Bridge
|
|
After Maryland Bridge
|
| |
 |
|
 |
Veneers
Veneers are generally made from thin porcelain and cemented
onto the front of
teeth to improve the appearance of a smile, or the shape and colour
of a tooth or
teeth. Before constructing veneers, the dentist needs to carefully
assess the
forces that are likely to be acting on them and the best manner to
prepare and
design them for optimum aesthetic and functional effect. Often x-rays
and wax
and/or plastic try in models need to be made and tried in the mouth,
which
allows both the dentist and the patient to see what the new smile
will look like
before going ahead with treatment. In some cases such as heavy bites
or
weakened teeth, veneers are not suitable and crowns need to be made
instead.
| |
Before veneers
|
|
After veneers
|
| |
 |
|
 |
Links
To learn more about Prosthodontics go to the Australian
and New Zealand
Prosthodontics Society web site.
To Top
