Rebuilding patients’ smiles requires advanced training and dedicated experience. Knowing how the teeth and gums come together to work fluidly and look aesthetically pleasing takes years of hands-on and classroom instruction. This is why the American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes prosthodontics as a unique specialization – one that ensures the best of the best can provide custom dentures and dental implants to patients battling tooth loss. Keep reading to learn more about this profession and why you might need to see a prosthodontist instead of your dentist for certain procedures.
What is Prosthodontics?
Prosthodontics is a specialization recognized by the ADA that focuses on the creation of dental prosthetics. A more official definition, provided by the American College of Prosthodontists, states that the specialty also focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and maintenance of a patient’s oral movement, aesthetics, and overall health with the help of biocompatible prosthetics.
What is Required to Become a Prosthodontist?
To become a prosthodontist, an individual must complete three years of dental school and earn a DMD or DDS degree from an accredited institution. They must then choose to specialize in prosthodontics and complete an additional three years of advanced training in the following areas:
- Dental implants
- Dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Complete dentures
- Partial dentures
- Dental esthetics
- Dental occlusion
- Facial and dental birth defects
- Laboratory fabrication (technical and technological components)
- Dental and facial esthetic restoration
What Are the Advantages of Seeing a Prosthodontist?
While many dentists can undergo years of additional training to learn how to place and restore dental implants, as well as create custom dentures (full and partial), prosthodontists have more time focusing solely on the skills required to provide these services at a higher level.
Many prosthodontists collaborate with general dentists to build a multi-specialty treatment plan. This usually combines the expertise of both professionals to ensure a patient’s smile receives the well-rounded care it needs.
If it is dental implants or dentures that are required to replace missing teeth, a prosthodontist can deliver the kind of superior results that last. This is often why many dentists refer patients to outside specialists when they need this type of treatment.
When it comes to addressing missing teeth and rebuilding smiles, don’t put your smile in the hands of anyone other than a qualified and expertly trained prosthodontist.
About the Author
Dr. Vincent Mariano is a board-certified prosthodontist at EMA Dental of Westfield. As one of only about 1,000 professionals with these credentials, he is capable of rebuilding smiles that have experienced serious damage. His specialization in prosthodontics allows him to build multi-specialty treatment plans alongside the other dental professionals in our office. Whether it’s dental implants or dentures you need, contact us at (413) 568-1698 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mariano today.