Prosthodontics

Fixed Prosthodontics

Crowns

A crown is recommended when a tooth already has a large filling with little remaining tooth structure, or when it has broken. In this case, the crown restores the colour, shape and size of the tooth in harmony with the neighbouring teeth.

Bridges

Bridges are an option for filling the gap left by one or more missing teeth. Crowns are placed on the teeth on either side of the gap, and a replacement tooth is added and joined to the crowns on each side. This is usually also the ideal solution when the supporting (abutment) teeth are already compromised by fillings and root canal treatment.

Zirconia Bridges

These are more aesthetic restorations, because this newer type of porcelain allows light to pass through the crown, giving it a natural appearance.
Read more under cosmetic dentistry

Maryland Bridge

The Maryland bridge is one of the types of bridge used to replace missing teeth. It is named after the University of Maryland, where it was developed. It is bonded in place with resin and is usually used to replace front teeth.

The two sides of the false tooth are attached to the back surfaces of the neighbouring teeth by metal wings, which are concealed with tooth-coloured composite resin.

This bridge is less invasive, in the sense that the teeth need hardly any preparation (drilling) for it to be fitted. It usually replaces front teeth that are not subjected to heavy biting forces, e.g. lateral incisors, or it can be used as a temporary restoration while dental implants are being placed. It can even be used for back teeth where there is good reason, but again only to replace teeth that are not subjected to heavy forces, e.g. premolars.

It is less invasive – in other words, almost no tooth structure is removed to make it – but it does not offer the same long-term results in terms of how long it stays in place in the mouth.
Whereas, for the loss of a single tooth, a conventional three-unit bridge has a survival rate of around 95% at ten years, for the same loss a Maryland bridge has a survival rate of around 40% at five years, with the best results seen up to about two years. In other words, it is a longer-lasting but still temporary solution.

Before the bridge	Temporary bridge	Bridge in place

Removable Prosthodontics

COMPLETE DENTURES

We provide complete dentures for people who have no natural teeth left. People without teeth lose a considerable amount of facial height, and numerous wrinkles and furrows begin to form around the lips and below the cheekbones. A well-made denture, however, restores the soft tissues around this area, giving an aesthetic rejuvenation, and the patient looks younger.

Treatment usually requires 5 visits. At the first visit the dentist takes an impression; at the second, a second, more accurate impression of the jaws is taken; at the third visit, the height and relationship of the two jaws are recorded; and at the fourth visit, the dentures are tried in wax with the teeth in position. At this visit it is important that the patient is happy with the colour and size of the teeth.

PARTIAL DENTURES

These are supported by the remaining teeth and replace the teeth that are missing. Their only drawback is that the metal clasps holding the denture to the teeth can sometimes be visible. For this reason, we may choose a different technique to avoid clasps.

This option involves precision attachments and telescopic crowns, which work like precision press studs between the supporting tooth and the denture.

There is also the option of a flexible (thermoplastic) partial denture, which has no metal clasps at all and is lighter

At the final visit, the denture is fitted and handed over to the patient,
once the fit, the bite and the aesthetic result have been checked.