What is prosthesis?
If you lose one or more of your teeth, you know how significantly this situation affects your oral health, aesthetic and your speech. The prostheses return you what you have lost.
In how many groups are prostheses categorized?
We can evaluate the prostheses in two separate classes as fixed and moving prostheses.
Fixed prostheses
While being categorized as crown and bridge, they can be named as full metal, metal supported porcelain or full porcelain according to the materials used in their productions.
Crown: It is the operation of downsizing and veneering of teeth having excessive material loss due to decay, fracture or another reason.
Bridge: In one or more teeth missing, it is the operation of downsizing of neighboring teeth and filling of intermediate spaces by getting support from the special veneers coming to them.Issues to be considered during and after the fixed prosthesis operation
During the downsizing of teeth, the anesthesia is made (teeth are anesthetized). The anesthesia continues for another 2-3 hours; in case something is eaten while the anesthesia continues, the cheek, lip and tongue can be bitten without recognizing. For this reason, it is required not to eat anything till the anesthesia passes. After the stoppage of anesthesia, there can be cold hot sensitivity and pain on the teeth.
This is a temporary situation and after the attachment of teeth, the complaints decrease and stop. The painkiller that the doctor will propose will kill the pain. In case of the continuation of the complaints, it is required for you to consult to your doctor.
The fixed prostheses cannot be removed from the mount by the patient himself/herself, however it can be required to be detached and removed from the mouth by the doctor.
After the fixed prosthesis is adhered, it is inconvenient to eat and drink something for 1 (one) hour. The adhesive under the prosthesis can dissolve in due time and in this case, it should be immediately re-adhered.
The cleaning of the prostheses should be cared for benefitting from them for long terms and in the best way and the teeth should be brushed after each meal. It will be beneficial to use the interim surface brushes that the doctor will propose and dental floss recommended for the prosthesis patients.
At the adaptation stage after the attachment of teeth, it is required to make chewing in a double sided balanced way in the form of small bits and to be patient for the first days for the lip, tongue and cheek muscles to get used to the new prosthesis and to continue the doctor-patient relation.
Moving prostheses
They can be named in different ways according to their different characteristics.
What are total and partial prosthesis?
Total, full prostheses: If the person misses all teeth in his/her mouth, it is required that the total-full-prostheses should be made.
Partial, fractional prostheses: It is the prosthesis type ensuring the adherence to teeth with the metal parts named crochet (hook) and made with the combination of the special acrylic and metals in the partial tooth missing.
Issues to be considered during the usage of the moving prosthesis:
It can take time for you to get used to the total prosthesis (complete palate) you have recently started to use. For you to get full efficiency from your prosthesis, it is required that you should be very patient and continue your relation with your dentist in the first days.
You should get soft foods in the first days in which you start to use.
You should chew the foods in small bits and dual sided.
The lower palate can get loose from its place with the cheek and tongue movements. When you get used to the prosthesis, you can keep it in its place with the cheek, lip and tongue muscles.
The upper palate prostheses can fall from your mouth when you have started to use it newly, you can ensure the better attachment of the upper prosthesis to the palate with the swallowing movements.
If one of the jaws is partial prosthesis (that is to say, if there are patient’s own teeth in their mouth), the crochets (hooks) coming to them should be removed by being seen in front of a mirror for first several days. The prosthesis removal operation should be realized by using thumb of both hands at the lower jaw and index fingers at the upper jaw. The crochets (hooks) coming to the teeth on both sides should be removed by pulling up at the lower jaw and to downwards at the upper jaw.
In the first days, the prostheses can form dents at the soft tissues of the jaw. For the wound formed to recover, the prosthesis is required to be taken over the edges of the prosthesis which are making pressures to the tissues and which are long. For this reason, it should not be waited by thinking that it gets used to, the dentist should be consulted as soon as possible and the complaints should be told.
The places making dent on the prosthesis should definitely not be incised with the tools such as glass, file, chisel etc. Do not forget that this operation is the duty of your dentist and if you incise, you can cause irrecoverable faults on your prosthesis.
Maintenance and Cleaning of the Prostheses
If the prostheses are requested to be benefitted in a long term and in the best way, the cleaning should be cared and they should be removed from the mouth after every meal and should be thoroughly cleaned with the help of a brush.
The clear water or soapy water is appropriate for this operation. The prostheses cleaned at nights should be left in one glass of clean water and should be attached in the morning.
What are precision attachment prostheses?
It is another prostheses type used in the partial tooth missing. These prostheses are much more superior to the classical partial prostheses in terms of aesthetic, retention and health.
What are over-implant prostheses?
They are prostheses placed on the screw system placed inside the jaw bone. (See Implant)
Fixed: Porcelain crowns applied to one or more teeth
Moving: Total similar prostheses applied to the completely toothless mouths.