Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of

dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...

that focuses on

dental prostheses A dental prosthesis is an intraoral (inside the mouth) prosthesis used to restore (reconstruct) intraoral defects such as missing teeth, missing parts of teeth, and missing soft or hard structures of the jaw and palate. Prosthodontics is the den ...

. It is one of 12 dental specialties recognized by the

American Dental Association The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional dental association. Established in 1859 and with over 159,000 current members, ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association. The organization lobbies on behal ...

(ADA),

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgery, surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wa ...

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a not-for-profit medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. It was established in 1784 as the national body ...

, Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow,

Royal College of Dentists of Canada The Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC, the College; ) is the Canadian national organization dedicated to maintaining high standards of practice and promoting excellence in dental specialties. Established in 1965, the RCDC aims to ensure ...

, and

Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) is a postgraduate professional education body established in 1965 to provide a broad range of activities to enhance the professional development of both general and specialist dentists thr ...

. The ADA defines it as "the dental specialty pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth or oral and maxillofacial tissues using

biocompatible Biocompatibility is related to the behavior of biomaterials in various contexts. The term refers to the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific situation. The ambiguity of the term reflects the ongoing ...

substitutes."

History

Pierre Fauchard Pierre Fauchard (; 2 January 1679 – 21 March 1761) was a French physician, credited as being the "father of modern dentistry". He is widely known for writing the first complete scientific description of dentistry, ''Le Chirurgien Dentiste'' ('' ...

(died 1761) discovered many methods to replace lost teeth using substitutes made from carved blocks of

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...

. He also introduced

dental braces Dental braces (also known as orthodontic braces, or simply braces) are devices used in orthodontics that align and straighten Human tooth, teeth and help position them with regard to a person's bite, while also aiming to improve dental health. The ...

to correct the position of teeth using gold wires and silk threads.

Women in prosthodontics

In 1964

Jeanne Sinkford Jeanne Craig Sinkford (born 1933) is an American dentist and academic administrator. She was the first female dean of an American dental school. She is a senior scholar in residence at the American Dental Education Association and a professor and d ...

became the first female prosthodontist with a PhD degree; her degree was in Physiology, and from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

.https://www.prosthodontics.org/assets/1/7/Women-In-Prosthodontics-PDF-SM.pdf In 1974 Patricia Smathers Moulton became the first woman certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics. In 1994 Jane D. Brewer became the first female fellow in the Academy of Prosthodontics. In 2003 Nancy S. Arbree became the first female president of the

American College of Prosthodontists The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is a not-for-profit organization representing prosthodontists within organized dentistry and to the public, with more than 3,700 members worldwide. Prosthodontics is one of the nine dental specialtie ...

, and Rhonda Jacob became the first female American Board of Prosthodontics examiner. In 2006 Jane D. Brewer became the first female president of the

American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. In 2008 Rhonda Jacob became the first female president of the Academy of Prosthodontics, and in 2010 she became the first female president of the American Board of Prosthodontics.

Training

According to the

, a prosthodontist is a dentist who: # Specializes in the aesthetic (cosmetic) restoration and replacement of teeth. # Receives three to four years of additional training after dental school. # Restores optimal appearance and function to one's smile. The planning, surgical placement (subcrestal prosthodontics) and restoration of implants and rehabilitation of occlusion with prostheses all fall under the field of prosthodontics. The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) ensures that standards are maintained in the field. Becoming a prosthodontist requires an additional three years of postgraduate specialty training after obtaining a

dental degree A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world. Degrees Dental degrees may include: Bachelor's degree * Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) * Bachelor's degree of Dentistry (BDS ...

. Recently, the ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) passed the updated educational standards for all prosthodontics programs in the United States that now mandates surgical placement of dental implants (subcrestal prosthodontics) at an in-depth competency level (on par with other surgical dental specialties) Training consists of rigorous clinical and didactic preparation in the basic sciences,

head and neck anatomy This article describes the anatomy of the head and neck of the human body, including the brain, bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, glands, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, and throat. Structure Bones The head rests on the top part of the vertebr ...

, biomedical sciences, biomaterial sciences, implant surgery, function of occlusion (bite), TMJ, and treatment planning and experience treating full-mouth reconstruction cases, and esthetics. Due to this extensive training, prosthodontists are required to treat complex cases, full-mouth rehabilitation, TMJ-related disorders,

congenital disorders A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can range from mild to severe. Birth de ...

, and

sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...

by planning and fabricating various prostheses. There are only 3,200 prosthodontists in comparison to 170,000 general dentists in the United States. Prosthodontists have been consistently ranked at 6th or 7th positions by Forbes among America's most competitive and highest salaried jobs. Board certification is awarded through the American Board of Prosthodontics (ABP) and requires successful completion of the Part I written examination and Part 2, 3 and 4 oral examinations. The written and one oral examination may be taken during the 3rd year of speciality training and the remaining two oral examinations taken following completion of speciality training. Board eligibility starts when an application is approved by the ABP and lasts for six years. Diplomates of the ABP are ethically required to have a practice limited to prosthodontics. Fellows of the American College of Prosthodontists (FACP) are required to have a dental degree, have completed three years of prosthodontic speciality training, and be board certified by the ABP. According to the ADA, specialties are recognized in those areas where advanced knowledge and skills are essential to maintain or restore oral health (Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct). Not all areas in dentistry will satisfy the requirements for specialty recognition. Acknowledged by the profession, the contributions of such and their endeavors are encouraged. The American Dental Association does not recognize cosmetic dentistry as a speciality. Prosthodontics is the only dental speciality under which the concentration of cosmetic/esthetic dentistry falls. General dentists may perform some simple cosmetic procedures. Consequently, there are questions regarding whether it is ethical for general dentists to treat "smile makeovers" or complex cosmetic and full-mouth reconstruction cases, as they are not qualified to address the complex needs of the patient. Likewise, there is no specialty recognized by the ADA for dental implants.

Maxillofacial prosthodontics/prosthetics

Maxillofacial prosthetics (Oral and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics) is a sub-specialty (or super-specialty) of prosthodontics. All maxillofacial prosthodontists first specialize in prosthodontics and then super-specialize with a one year fellowship exclusively in maxillofacial prosthetics. A fellowship provides intensive clinical, hospital and laboratory training. Maxillofacial prosthodontists treat patients who have acquired and

congenital A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at childbirth, birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disability, disabilities that may be physical disability, physical, intellectual disability, intellectual, or dev ...

defects of the

head and neck This article describes the anatomy of the head and neck of the human body, including the brain, bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, glands, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, and throat. Structure Bones The head rests on the top part of the vertebr ...

and maxillofacial region due to cancer, surgery, trauma, or birth defects. Maxillary obturators, speech-aid prosthesis (formerly called as pharyngeal/soft palate obturators) and mandibular-resection prostheses are the most common intra-oral prostheses planned and fabricated by Maxillofacial prosthodontists. Facial prostheses include artificial eyes, nose, ears and other facial prostheses fabricated by the clinician or in conjunction with an

anaplastologist Anaplastology (''Gk. ''ana''-again, a new, upon ''plastos''-something made, formed, molded ''logy''-the study of'') is a branch of medicine dealing with the prosthetic rehabilitation of an absent, disfigured or malformed anatomically critical locat ...

. Treatment is multidisciplinary, involving oral and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, ENT doctors, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, hospital dentists, speech pathologies (speech therapists), clinical psychologist, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals. The American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics is the academy of this discipline
American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics – AAMP

Conditions

* All-on-4 * Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw *

Bruxism Bruxism is excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. It is an oral Parafunctional habit, parafunctional activity; i.e., it is unrelated to normal function such as eating or talking. Bruxism is a common behavior; the global prevalence of brux ...

Edentulism Toothlessness or edentulism is the condition of having no teeth. In organisms that naturally have teeth, it is the result of tooth loss. Organisms that never possessed teeth can also be described as edentulous. Examples are the members of the fo ...

Occlusal trauma Occlusal trauma is the damage to teeth when an excessive force is acted upon them and they do not align properly.Bibb, CA: Occlusal Evaluation and Therapy in the Management of Periodontal Disease. In Newman, MG; Takei, HH; Carranza, FA; editors: ...

Temporomandibular joint disorder Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD, TMJD) is an umbrella term covering pain and dysfunction of the muscles of mastication (the muscles that move the jaw) and the temporomandibular joints (the joints which connect the mandible to the skul ...

Treatment modalities

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

Centric relation In dentistry, centric relation is the mandibular jaw position in which the head of the condyle is situated as far anterior and superior as it possibly can within the mandibular fossa/glenoid fossa. It is defined as, ''"The maxillo-mandibular rel ...

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

Veneer Veneer may refer to: Materials * Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick * Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone * Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth * Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood Arts and entertainment * ' ...

Dental surgery Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...

Complete dentures A complete denture (also known as a full denture, false teeth or plate) is a removable appliance used when all teeth within a jaw have been lost and need to be prosthetically replaced. In contrast to a partial denture, a complete denture is constr ...

Fixed prosthodontics Fixed prosthodontics is the branch of prosthodontics that focuses on dental prosthesis, dental prostheses that are permanently affixed (fixed). Crown (dental restoration), Crowns, bridge (dentistry), bridges (fixed dentures), inlays, onlays, and V ...

Inlays and onlays In dentistry, inlays and onlays are used to fill cavities, and then cemented in place in the tooth. This is an alternative to a direct restoration, made out of composite, amalgam or glass ionomer, that is built up within the mouth.Inlays and on ...

Removable partial denture A removable partial denture (RPD) is a dentures, denture for a partially Edentulism, edentulous patient who desires to have replacement teeth for functional or aesthetic reasons and who cannot have a bridge (dentistry), bridge (a fixed prosthodont ...

* SMK- Composite Bridge System * Implant dentistry * Full mouth rehabilitation

References

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