Prostheses or Implants

People who have lost some teeth or all of them in some cases, especially those who have had periodontal problems or those belonging to the elderly group, often ask themselves what would be the best way to solve the problem of oral rehabilitation. There is the possibility of solution through the dental prosthesis or the combination of implants plus dental prosthesis.

Regarding the first option: If there is absence of some pieces and depending on the strength of these, through clinical and radiographic tests, you can opt for the placement of fixed prosthesis, that is to say those attachments (crowns) that are placed on top of the teeth, covering them in their totality, with the purpose of solving alterations in the shape, color and position, due to fractures of the enamel or caries or undesirable discolorations. This type of prosthesis requires the preparation of the adjacent teeth to rehabilitate the teeth that have been lost. In this type of prosthesis, there are various types of materials, which have their specific indications according to each individual case and the aesthetic requirements requested by the patient. If the gap to rehabilitate is wider or the remaining teeth have some kind of weakening (evaluated clinically and radiographically) the placement of fixed prosthesis is increasingly distant.

The possibility is the placement of removable prosthesis as a second option: the one that has to be removed after each food intake to perform the hygiene of the same and natural teeth. The removable prosthesis was formerly made with unsightly retainers or retainers, which diminished aesthetics especially if they had to be placed in the anterior sector.

The technological solution was the introduction of attachments or precision clips, which provide stability and retention to the prosthesis and of course superior comfort to the patient. These clips go inside the prosthesis, eliminating the placement of unsightly retainers, providing a naturalness comparable to that of crowns in the fixed prosthesis.

If the patient is reluctant to use this type of prosthesis either for reasons of comfort or does not want their teeth to be prepared, they have the possibility of implanting. The implant is a titanium attachment that is placed in the maxillary bone for the purpose of serving as an artificial root in an area where several teeth have been lost. For a certain purpose, one or more surgical phases are required and then the actual rehabilitation is performed with the aforementioned conventional prosthesis. The advantages of one over another: The prosthesis without implants does not require a surgical phase, it is more economical and is as aesthetic as the implant. Implants do not require a phase of preparation of adjacent teeth, the feeling of own teeth is more natural and is more effective (stable) in cases of total prosthesis (in total absence of teeth). In short, both are highly functional and aesthetic, with advantages and disadvantages, it is in your hands esteemed patient to opt for the most suitable proposal for you. It is necessary to inform yourself, going to the dental consultation so that this scope is deepened and has greater confidence before deciding on the type of treatment.