PROSTHODONTICS

it is like a cap placed over the tooth, which is shaped according to the anatomy of the tooth to be restored. A crown is done on a tooth that was fractured, root canal treated or has a large cavity.

Procedure involves reduction of the tooth, just enough to accommodate the entire thickness of a crown. The crown is then cemented permanently making the tooth as functional as it was.

It is an irremovable or fixed partial denture, replacing one or more missing teeth. A bridge consists of two or more crowns anchored on either side of the missing tooth, and a false tooth/ teeth in between. The procedure is similar to having a
crown.

Materials used for crowns/ bridge:

Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) crowns – This kind of material has a thin layer of metal embracing the tooth, which is then covered with porcelain. The porcelain makes up the remaining thickness of the crown to make it appear natural. Reduction of the tooth is made thick to give room for the metal.

All Porcelain Crown (APC) – This type of crown is made up entirely of porcelain. Esthetic wise, this is better than PFM crowns since APC can give the translucency of a natural tooth, at the same time eliminating possible metal show. This is ideal when restoring front teeth.

Zirconia crowns – The latest and popular choice for a crown, because of its strength and at the same time esthetic advantage. Zirconia crowns are undoubtedly stronger than APC and PFM crowns. Longevity is an advantage also, since porcelain crowns still has the tendency to chip as compared to zirconia. This is indicated when restoring both front and back teeth.

It is a removable appliance that replaces a missing tooth/ teeth. It consists of a framework which serves as a base for the gum-colored acrylic holding the pontics or false teeth. This type of denture has a clasp which holds onto the tooth
for retention. Since this kind of denture is removable, cleaning and maintenance can be properly done.

When all teeth are missing on one arch, a full coverage oral prosthetic device known as a complete denture is indicated. It is fabricated using a gum-colored acrylic which serves as a denture base to where the pontics or false teeth are embedded.