The Importance Of Preventive Dental Care At Any Age

Posted on: 20 January 2015

If your regular dentist finds themself out of their league with your teeth, they might refer you to a prosthodontist. These specialists endure an additional three years of training that focuses on in-depth head and neck anatomy, special dental conditions, the nature of the human bite, and cosmetic dental surgery. This extra education helps prosthodontists to analyze difficult dental situations and provide targeted, customized care. Here are two ways a prosthodontist can prevent dental problems and solve existing issues, so that you can be proud of your smile.   

1: Creating Custom Mouth Guards

When you are in the middle of doing something else, it isn't always easy to think about your smile. Unfortunately, your teeth can sustain a lot of damage over time, or be permanently altered in an instant. To protect your teeth from harm, prosthodontists can create custom mouth guards just for you. Here are a few examples of when you might need a custom mouth guard:

• Sports: When you are in the middle of trying to catch a rogue baseball or stick that uneven bars dismount, you might not be thinking about the orientation of your jaw. Unfortunately, if you take a shot to the face or your mouth closes suddenly, you might end up dealing with painful dental fractures. Sports mouth guards can protect all kinds of athletes by spreading impact across a larger area, which reduces soft tissue damage.
• Overnight Grinding: Bruxism, or teeth grinding, can file your teeth unevenly or create unsightly cracks. After rubbing away protective enamel, your teeth can be susceptible to bacteria and decay, which can lead to even more problems. However, prosthodontists can create special mouth guards that make overnight teeth grinding impossible.

The great thing about having a custom mouth guard made is that it will fit perfectly. You won't have to worry about that plastic digging into your gums, or creating uncomfortable sores on your hard palate. Your mouthguard will keep your teeth safe, even when you aren't paying attention.

2: Smile Makeovers

If you have already sustained serious dental injuries, a prosthodontist can offer you the help you are looking for. In addition to having a thorough understanding of general dentistry principles, prosthodontists are skilled dental artisans who can rebuild your smile. Here are a few techniques they might use:  

• Dentures: Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to wait until all your teeth are gone to get a nice set of dentures. Prosthodontists can create partial dentures that clip into your smile with the help of a retainer. In fact, these false teeth can even be stained to match your existing teeth perfectly, so you won't need to worry about them looking out of place.  
• Implants: If you have been involved in an accident, there might be more to worry about than a few missing teeth. Fortunately, prosthodontists can evaluate the health of your jaw and soft tissues, and place dental implants in strong locations. Prosthodontists can even design implants that look like your old teeth, so that your coworkers and friends won't be surprised by a brand-new smile.
• Bonding and Contouring: Do you have strangely shaped teeth that don't quite fit together? Prosthodontists can use strong dental bonding agents to fill in gaps or add to existing teeth. They can also contour your teeth with the help of special files to make your smile even and beautiful.
• Facial Deformities: Special cases require special treatment. If you were born with a congenital deformity like cleft palate, it might be hard for your regular dentist to give you the dental care you need. However, prosthodontists understand the intricacies of birth defects and facial deformities, so they can treat the problem effectively.

Working with a prosthodontist might help you to prevent complicated dental conditions or recover from past injuries so that you can move on with your life. To learn more about how a prosthodontist can help you preserve or renew your smile, go to websites like this one.