What Is A Prosthodontist?
Prosthodontists are dental specialists in the restoration and replacement of teeth. After completing four years of dental school, prosthodontists receive three additional years of specialized training in an American Dental Association (ADA) accredited graduate education program. Prosthodontics is one of the nine dental specialties recognized by the ADA.

Rigorous training and experience provide prosthodontists with a special understanding of the dynamics of a smile, the preservation of a healthy mouth and the creation of tooth replacements. Serving as the "architect" of a dental treatment plan, prosthodontists collaborate with general dentists, specialists and other health care professionals to develop solutions to your dental concerns.

• Do You Feel Awkward Or Self-Conscious About Your Smile?
• Do You Cover Your Mouth When You Talk?
• When The Camera Shutter Opens, Do Your Lips Close?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, we can help.

Today, when the desire for a more natural looking smile is greater than ever, exciting new products and procedures allow us to restore and even improve the natural beauty of your teeth. Now it is possible to repair broken or decayed teeth, and actually "restore" them to their natural beauty and strength. By utilizing advanced restorative materials we can change your smile by replacing stained, chipped, missing or worn teeth with inlays, crowns, veneers and bridges.

Prosthodontist Can Help In Many Ways
Your prosthodontist will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of treatment. Additional recommendations regarding continuing care will be coordinated with your general or family practitioner or other dental specialists.

Prosthodontists can help in many other ways. As American Dental Association recognized specialists, prosthodontists offer services in state-of-the-art procedures and techniques, such as:

• Dental implants
• Complex care management involving multiple specialists
• Cosmetic dentistry
• Special needs of geriatric patients
• Children born with cleft palate or missing teeth
• TMD-jaw joint problems
• Traumatic injuries
• Snoring and sleep disorders
• Oral cancer reconstruction and continuing care

Prosthodontists are exceptionally skilled in "Creating Generations of Smiles". Whatever your age, you owe it to yourself to see how a specialist in tooth restoration and tooth replacement can help you.

Creating Your Perfect Smile

Replace Defective Fillings With Inlays
Defective or unsightly "fillings" can be replaced by all-ceramic inlays.. .an exciting tooth colored material that is bonded to the tooth for added support. Instead of simply being held in by cement, this bonding process may actually improve the strength and beauty of the tooth.

Restore Teeth With Natural Looking Crowns
When decay is more extensive, a crown (cap) is recommended. The exciting news is that now you can have a crown that gives you the strength, beauty, translucency and feel of a natural tooth.

Replace Missing Teeth With Bridges And Implants
Today, there are several exciting options available for replacing missing teeth from implants to ceramic ridges. With today's materials and tooth color matching techniques, your new restoration will blend in beautifully and naturally.

Create A Beautiful Smile With Veneers
If you are not happy with the alignment, color or form of your teeth, now you can greatly improve your smile with ceramic veneers, a thin layer of porcelain that is bonded to the front of your teeth and becomes part of the tooth. Typically, for optimal esthetics, multiple teeth may need to be veneered.

Brighten Your Smile With Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening is a process that lightens discolored enamel and dentin. Studies have shown that proper use of dentist-monitored, whitening systems are an effective way of enhancing your smile. Almost anyone can benefit from tooth whitening. Your prosthodontist can determine if you are a good candidate for home whitening through a thorough oral examination and diagnosis.

Dental Implants

The Benefits of Dental Implants
Loss of natural teeth can dramatically alter your facial appearance and affect your attitude towards life. Missing teeth may lead to loss of self-esteem and embarrassment. Through modern and predictable techniques, dental implants have enhanced the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world!

Dental implants are substitute or replacement tooth roots. A tooth consists of a crown and a root. The crown is that part of the tooth which is visible in the mouth. The root is under the gum tissue, surrounded by the bone. The crown is supported by the root portion,

which is attached to the bone. Implants are placed into the bone so that a prosthetic crown (the visible part of your tooth) can be firmly attached. State-of-the art technology in implant dentistry makes it possible to provide replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth.

Dental implants can help you regain your natural smile, improving appearance and self-confidence. They can also increase your comfort by eliminating loose fitting complete and partial dentures. In addition, dental implants act to stop the deterioration in the jawbone, which occurs when the natural teeth are lost. Overall health is improved with the ability to eat virtually anything with ease. Self-confidence is renewed with the knowledge that appearance is natural once again.

Your Implant Team
The ultimate goal is the final tooth replacement and your prosthodontist serves as the "architect" of the dental implant treatment plan working closely with the rest of your dental health team. Careful pre-treatment planning and evaluation is important for success.

Prosthodontists have extensive laboratory skills and knowledge of materials used to restore and replace teeth. The ADA recognizes the prosthodontist as a specialist in tooth restoration and replacement. We take great care and pride in providing our patients with esthetically attractive and natural-looking replacement teeth.

You, the patient, play a critical role in the treatment success by maintaining your oral health and following the recommendations of your dental health team.

The Implant Procedure
There are two different surgical procedures for dental implant placement. You should discuss with your prosthodontist which one is most appropriate for you. With a two-step system, the implant is placed in the jawbone below the gum line, which is then sutured over and allowed to heal. After the healing process a second stage is necessary to open the gum so that the tooth can be replaced.

With a one-step or single-stage system only one surgical procedure is required. At the time of placement the top of the implant is level with the gums and remains visible. After an adequate healing period the tooth replacement phase can proceed without the need for a second surgical procedure.

The healing phase ranges from six weeks to six months depending upon each individual's clinical requirements. In order to make your replacement tooth your prosthodontist will need to make x-rays, impressions, bite registration records and various fittings. As a result of these efforts and years of experience, your replacement tooth will blend beautifully with your existing teeth and function normally.

Are You A Candidate For Dental Implants?

• Are you missing one or more teeth?
• Are you lacking confidence because of your teeth or smile?
• Do you want natural-looking replacement teeth?
• Does wearing a denture restrict your ability to eat and smile comfortably?

Dental implants can replace missing teeth for people of all ages, young and old. Clinical studies have proven implants to be highly successful regardless of your age*. Nearly everyone is a candidate for dental implants and there are very few medical conditions that would rule out dental implant treatment.

As part of your treatment evaluation, your dental team will carefully review your medical and oral health and examine the condition of your teeth and gums, as well as the amount and quality of your jawbone. Specific x-rays and models will help your prosthodontist determine whether you are a candidate for dental implants.

Complete & Removal Partial Dentures

Replacing Lost Teeth
As we age, some of us lose our teeth due to disease, injury and even wear, which places unnatural stress on the mouth's structures and shape. It is not only the teeth that change, but the supporting structure such as the bone and gum tissue as well. When you lose a tooth, the bone shrinks, and this can result in changes to your facial appearance.

...prosthodontists provide attractive, comfortable and functional solutions for replacing lost teeth.

A prosthodontist is specially trained to recognize these changes and restore your smile. There are many options that your prosthodontist can offer if you have lost some or all of your teeth. Using modern technology and materials, prosthodontists provide attractive, comfortable and functional solutions for replacing lost teeth.

Your prosthodontist will provide a thorough examination, which may include x-rays and models of your mouth to determine which treatments are available to you. You may need to discuss the options of either a removable partial or a complete denture. A partial denture replaces only those teeth that are missing in either the upper or lower jaw. A complete denture is used when all of the teeth are missing in either the upper or lower jaw.

Depending on many factors, dentures may be an appropriate course of treatment. Have your prosthodontist recommend a treatment specific to your needs.

Complete Dentures
Natural teeth and the underlying bone provide a framework that supports the structures of the face including the lips, cheeks and the nose. When teeth are lost the ability to eat and chew properly is impaired, and it becomes difficult to maintain a proper diet. Without support from the teeth, the face will sag creating a look of premature aging. Additionally, without teeth we cannot speak clearly and distinctly.

A complete denture replaces all of the natural teeth in the upper or lower jaw, or both, sitting on the soft (gum) tissue of the mouth that covers the bone ridge. Your prosthodontist may use several different procedures to make sure your denture will fit the shape of your mouth and provide the necessary support for the face. The design of the denture and position of the teeth will restore good speech and appearance. A prosthodontist has extensive training and experience in creating well-fitting and attractive dentures.

However, over time, the gums and bone supporting the denture will shrink causing the denture to become loose. Periodic visits to your prosthodontist are necessary to check the fit of your denture. If required, the denture can be adjusted and refit. It is also important to check the overall oral health of your mouth to help ensure optimal results from your treatment.

A prosthodontist has extensive training and experience in creating well-fitting and attractive dentures.

Removable Partial Dentures
A removable partial denture is used when there are still natural teeth left. The missing teeth are replaced by this type of denture in an effective and esthetic design using both the soft tissue ridges and teeth to hold them securely in place. This tooth replacement is removable by the patient, which makes cleaning easier.

Because removable partial dentures use teeth and soft tissue for support, you may be given the opportunity to choose a variety of treatment plans. Your prosthodontist will discuss these options after a thorough examination of your teeth, soft tissue (gums and cheeks), remaining bone and surrounding anatomy. The examination should also include x-rays (radiographs) or impressions to make models of the mouth. After reviewing all the necessary information with your prosthodontist you will be able to make an informed choice.

The new teeth will look natural and are made from plastic or porcelain (ceramic) materials. The foundation of the partial denture can be plastic or a combination of plastic and metal. There are different methods used to secure the partial denture in your mouth. Metal clasps are the most common and they may or may not be visible. The denture can often be made to fit the existing shape of your teeth, or it may be necessary to alter your remaining teeth. Your prosthodontist will indicate which design will be most appropriate for you.

Post Insertion Care
When you receive your new denture your prosthodontist will make sure that it fits properly. However, your treatment is not quite finished as there is always a period of adjustment to become accustomed to the new denture. Your prosthodontist is committed to making you comfortable and is happy to adjust the fit of your dentures. As each individual has unique needs, please ask your prosthodontist what to expect at any time during your treatment and for instructions on how to care for your new dentures.

Regular Dental Check-Ups
Whether you need a complete or removable partial denture it is important to note that your treatment doesn't end when you receive your denture. Periodic dental check-ups are key to maintaining your oral health. If you have complete dentures you should have oral exams to check the fit of your denture and to make sure your mouth stays healthy. If you have a removable partial denture a thorough examination and cleaning of your remaining teeth should be done regularly.

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