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Prosthodontist
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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Who is a Prosthodontist? This is a doctor whose specialization is a specific area of dentistry - dental orthopedics.
If general orthopedics is aimed at treating and restoring damage to the human musculoskeletal system, then dental orthopedics eliminates defects in the dental row associated with damaged or missing teeth. This is possible thanks to prosthetics - a special medical and technical area of clinical dentistry.
So the answer to the question - what does a Dentist-Prosthetist do? - is obvious. A Dentist-Prosthetist is engaged in the production (taking dental impressions for further production of dentures by prosthetist technicians) and installation of dentures - artificial replacements for lost teeth.
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When should you see a prosthodontist?
Taking into account all of the above, there follows a practically exhaustive answer to the question of when should you contact a dental prosthetist?
The services of this specialist in dental prosthetics are the only adequate measure in case of incomplete "completeness" of the dental row. Dental prosthetics has many technologies and modern materials at its disposal that can solve this problem.
Today, such types of prosthetics as clasp, bridge, removable, non-removable, conditionally removable, as well as prosthetics on dental implants previously implanted into the gums are widely used. But the implantation of implants is carried out by another specialist - a dentist-implantologist, and an artificial tooth is installed on the implant by a dentist-prosthetist.
However, only a dental prosthodontist can decide which method of replacing lost teeth is right for you.
What tests should you take when visiting a dental prosthetist?
Dental prosthetics requires complete sanitation of the oral cavity, i.e. treatment of all diseases of the oral mucosa and all available teeth. All this is done by a dental therapist, who will refer the patient to take a blood test for hepatitis C (Anti-HCV), hepatitis B (HBsAg), HIV (anti-HIV) and syphilis. These tests are taken to ensure the safety of all types of dental treatment.
If your gums bleed excessively, you need to have your blood clotting level tested (for platelet count). And if you have diabetes, you may need a blood sugar test.
If the patient decides to have prosthetics with the installation of implants, the prosthetist will involve the implant surgeon. In this case, the list of necessary tests will be much longer, and the tests will be prescribed by the implantologist.
What diagnostic methods does a dental prosthetist use?
The main diagnostic method used by a dental prosthetist is radiological. Orthopantomography (overview dental radiography) allows obtaining an overview image of the upper and lower jaws simultaneously.
But the most modern diagnostic method that a dental prosthetist in a good clinic is armed with is dental computed tomography, which provides a 3D image of the teeth and jaws.
The advantage of computed tomography is that the doctor sees in three dimensions (volume) the features of the structure of the teeth of a particular patient, the condition of the soft tissues of the oral cavity, periodontium and jaw bone tissue, the location of nerves, habitual bite, etc.
What diseases does a dental prosthetist treat?
A dental prosthetist does not treat dental diseases, but eliminates their frequent consequence, which is adentia or edentulism - tooth loss. The most common causes of irreversible loss of a tooth or several teeth are advanced caries, gingivitis, pulpitis, periodontitis, chronic periodontosis, as well as diabetes and even rheumatoid arthritis. Jaw injuries can also lead to tooth loss.
A reduction in the number of teeth has the most negative consequences for the digestive system: food that is not sufficiently ground in the oral cavity is more difficult to digest and is less well absorbed. The absence of teeth makes it difficult to articulate sounds when speaking.
In addition, partial or complete edentulism leads to subsidence of the spongy bone tissue of the alveolar part of the jaws, the consequence of which is a change in some external facial features.
Of no small importance are the negative psycho-emotional factors that accompany adentia: they reduce not only a person’s quality of life, but also their level of self-esteem.
Advice from a prosthodontist
To keep your own teeth as long as possible, read the simple advice of a prosthodontist.
So, you need to take care of your teeth regularly (brush them in the morning and evening). You need to treat your teeth in a timely manner. If you ignore caries and other dental (and gum) diseases, you can end up without teeth - partially or completely.
Smoking, consumption of sweet foods and drinks, and foods with a lot of carbohydrates and acids lead to tooth loss. A common cause of tooth loss is periodontitis, which can develop due to diabetes, chronic malnutrition (with strict diets), decreased immunity, and HIV infection.
Remember: if you do not contact a regular dentist in time, you may need a prosthodontist.