Prosthodontists

Did you know there are many benefits to smiling? Smiling lowers your blood pressure, reduces pain, relieves stress, and strengthens your immune system. Most importantly, perhaps, smiling improves your mood and makes you feel good about yourself.

What if your smile makes you self-conscious, though? Perhaps your teeth aren't as straight as they could be. Maybe your teeth are stained or cracked. These things may cause you to purse your lips and grimace. Fortunately, you don't have to hide your smile for good. Your Spokane prosthodontists at Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics can transform your smile. When we're done, your friends and family will be asking you why, all of sudden, you're smiling all the time. Keep reading to learn more about how prosthodontists can change your smile for the better.

What is a Prosthodontist?

So, you've been to see your dentist and for one reason or another, they have referred you to your local prosthodontist (if you're in the Spokane area, you might have been referred to Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics), you might be wondering exactly what a prosthodontist is and how they can be of service.

Just like your dentist, your local prosthodontist has been through dental school, which usually lasts for four years. While a dental school graduate may begin hunting for a practice to work for, the prosthodontist-to-be heads into a three-year residency focused on learning all about prosthodontics. Once they have been through all that training, a prosthodontist is an expert at repairing and replacing all areas in and around the mouth, from teeth to jawbone. Whether you have lost some teeth or injured your jaw in an accident, a prosthodontist can help restore your smile.

Services Provided by a Prosthodontist

There are a variety of reasons you might need to see a prosthodontist. Some of these may include:

  • Loss of teeth due to accident, infection, or age
  • Cracked or chipped teeth
  • Teeth worn down by grinding or clenching
  • Misaligned bite
  • Temporomandibular issues (TMJ/TMD)
  • Stained teeth

When you visit a prosthodontist, they will talk with you about your dental issues and examine your teeth and mouth area. The road back to a healthy smile will then be created. Below are some of the options your prosthodontist may suggest.

Dental Implants

Whether you have lost one tooth or multiple teeth to infection, an accident, or age, you will want to replace that tooth. A space between your teeth can, over time, cause multiple issues, affecting your bite, your speech, and the teeth surrounding the gap. A dental implant may be just what you need.

A dental implant is made up of a post that gets placed into and becomes part of your jawbone, an abutment that goes on top of the post, and a custom-made replacement tooth that attaches to the abutment. The replacement tooth gets custom-made so it's a perfect match for the teeth around it. The process of getting an implant installed can be lengthy, involving surgery and healing time, but once it's done, no one will ever guess it's not your natural tooth.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are designed to replace a group of teeth that are missing due to accident, infection, or age. Bridges can be installed by placing implants into your jaw on either side of the gap, metal wings to the backs of your teeth on either side of the gap, or crowns on either side of the gap. Custom-made replacement teeth will fill in the gap, so no matter which type of bridge you decide to go with, your smile will look as good as new.

Crowns

If your tooth is cracked or chipped, but not so much so that it needs to be extracted, then you might opt for crowns to stabilize them. Getting a crown fitted is a two-step process. The first part consists of the prosthodontist preparing your tooth for the crown. Once your tooth has been filed down and shaped properly, an impression or 3D image of the reshaped tooth and the surrounding teeth will be made—this will provide the information needed to create a custom-made crown. A temporary crown will then be placed.

When your custom-made crown is completed, you will return to the prosthodontist's office to have the temporary crown removed and the custom-made crown permanently affixed to your tooth. Crowns come in many different colors/materials, but you can choose to have the crown be the same color as your natural teeth. If you go this route, no one will be able to tell the difference between the crown and your natural teeth.

Partial/Full Dentures

If you have lost some or all of your teeth, you may want a non-invasive way of replacing them. In this case, you may want to go with a removable partial or full set of dentures. Your prosthodontist can make impressions of the area where the dentures will sit to create a custom set of dentures that will look and act like your natural teeth. A partial denture may snap into place on your remaining teeth, while an adhesive will hold a full set of dentures in place.

If you'd prefer something a little more permanent—and you don't mind a more invasive procedure—you may opt for an All-on-4 dental replacement, in which four dental implants are inserted into your jawbone. Your custom-made dental appliance will then be permanently attached to those implants. When you smile, no one will know you're wearing dentures—all they'll see is beautiful teeth!

Veneers

Sometimes, a tooth that is discolored, chipped, or misshapen only needs a touch-up to look just the way you want it to. If that's the case, then veneers may be for you. A veneer is a thin shell made from tooth-colored material that fits right onto the front of your tooth, covering up any stains, chips, or blemishes. Veneers are custom-made from a model of your teeth, so when they're applied, they will blend right in with all the teeth around them. You'll have no need to worry about flashing your pearly whites after your prosthodontist is done.

Teeth Whitening

Over the years, many foods and drinks can cause stains on your teeth, from coffee to tea to dark berries. If your teeth are duller in color or stained, they don't have to stay that way. Your prosthodontist can help whiten your teeth with professional-grade whitener applied at the prosthodontic office or at home.

Your prosthodontist can provide custom-made trays and whitening gel you can use at home, or the whitening can be done at their office. Either of these options is more reliable and longer lasting than any whitening products you can pick up over the counter. The effects are often quicker, too. Your smile will be bigger and brighter before you know it!

Transform Your Smile Today

Are your teeth in need of some reworking? Are you on the hunt for someone who can transform your smile into one you'll be proud of? Look no further than Pacific Northwest Prosthodontics, your Spokane prosthodontist! We would love to help you attain the look you want. Contact us for an appointment today.