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Dentistry has not been limited to primitive dentistry for a long time. Today, there are many specialized services that satisfy the various needs of patients. There are general dentists, dental surgeons, orthodontists and orthopedic dentists. It is worth dwelling in more detail on the specialization of an orthopedic dentist and find out what exactly he does in his practice.
Competence of an orthopedic dentist
An orthopedic dentist is engaged in prosthetics of the dentition and its renewal and restoration. These concepts differ, since it is possible to renew the surface of a tooth with healthy roots, but in case of root diseases, it is necessary to prosthetic or implant teeth. In addition to restoring the aesthetic appearance of a smile and restoring minor defects in the dentition, an orthopedic dentist also restores the most important dental functions, primarily chewing.
Specializations of an orthopedic dentist are removable prosthetics, fixed and conditionally removable types of restoration of teeth.
He is also engaged in the implementation of casts for the subsequent manufacture of all necessary structures by dental technicians – crowns, inlays and other things.
That is why dental orthopedics is one of the most sought-after specializations today. Very often recently, children become patients of orthopedic dentists.
At the first consultation, the doctor finds out the presence of damage to the patient’s chewing apparatus and their degree.
After the diagnosis is made, a special treatment plan is drawn up, which necessarily includes the preparation of the oral cavity for the renewal of the dentition or prosthetics, as well as the necessary orthopedic measures, the choice of the type of prosthetics or the renewal of the design of the existing prosthesis, if necessary, the installation of prostheses.
Before the start of treatment, the necessary examination and preparation of the patient is carried out, including an orthopantomogram, tomography, wax modeling and other highly specialized examinations. The entire responsibility for the choice of material and the manufacture of the best prosthesis in each case also falls on the prosthodontist.
Symptoms and diseases
A dentist-orthopedist, in addition to prosthetics, deals with the treatment of various diseases of the oral cavity.
These diseases include: caries, chipped tooth, periodontitis, pulpitis, cracks in the tooth tissue, dental erosion, chilit.
If you have any of these symptoms, a mandatory consultation with a good orthopedic dentist is required:
- sore teeth when biting on solid foods;
- pain during daily cleaning of the dentition;
- the occurrence of tooth sensitivity;
- the occurrence of bleeding gums;
- redness and swelling of the gums;
- night pains of carious areas or places under crowns;
- destruction of interdental partitions;
- occurrence of tartar.
Types of diagnosis and treatment
Consultation and treatment with an orthopedic dentist may be necessary for a variety of problems that arise with the teeth. This specialist provides diagnostics and treatment in the following areas:
- diagnostic examination of dental units and the state of bone tissue;
- detection of destruction of jaw bones and dental tissues;
- restoration of the functional load of the teeth by installing prostheses;
- the establishment of artificial devices (implants) that can replace in the dentition, canines, incisors and molars.
At the same time, it is important to remember that all dental specialists often work in a complex manner, that is, when contacting an orthopedic dentist, you need to be prepared to visit a general dentist, an orthodontist and a surgeon.
Only a comprehensive examination and treatment will help ensure the longevity of prostheses and implants, as well as the rapid survival of the latter.
The most common situations are when a patient is referred to an orthopedist by a dentist-therapist after he diagnoses diseases or problems associated with this type of activity at his own appointment. If it becomes necessary to clarify the details of problems with the dentition, the orthopedist can refer the patient for additional examinations:
- orthopantomogram (shows a panoramic image of the jaws);
- computed tomography;
- digital dental X-ray diagnostics;
- wax modeling of jaws;
- axiography;
- diagnostic jaw models.
Sometimes a banal x-ray is enough, after which the whole subsequent picture of treatment becomes clear. At the next stage, the doctor identifies temporary or permanent contraindications to the use of drugs and, taking this into account, makes casts, which are then sent to the laboratory for dental technicians. When the products are ready, they are customized for the patient, implants, bridges, etc. are installed. After that, the orthopedist appoints a schedule for further visits, warns the patient about the rules for caring for prostheses and side effects that occur in the process of getting used to them. Visiting a doctor regularly becomes essential in order to ensure the full functionality of the dentition and prevent the emergence of new problems.
If ulcers, tumors, inflammation of the gum tissue and redness occur when wearing prostheses or implants, you should immediately consult a doctor. Many defects in dentures are not visible immediately after they are installed, they begin to appear only while the structure is being worn, which is why the doctor in the clinic will not always be able to foresee all the problems with a particular patient. But if you seek help in a timely manner after detecting defects, there is a high chance that the doctor will easily eliminate them, and the crown or bridge can then be worn with a high degree of comfort.
Types of orthopedics in dentistry
Among the main areas that the orthopedic dentist is engaged in, implantation, removable, fixed and conditionally removable prosthetics stand out.
Implantation is a procedure for restoring the aesthetics of the dentition. The high cost of materials and a large number of contraindications and restrictions to the introduction of implants do not stop patients from dreaming of getting a new full-fledged tooth, and not false structures or bridges.
The essence of the implantation method is that in a place where there is no dental unit, an orthopedic dentist implants a titanium pin into the bone tissue. After the pin takes root, the doctor puts on an abutment or a basis for the future crown on its core part.
High-quality dental implants can serve their owners for more than 30 years, being firmly held in the bone and without causing any inconvenience to a person.
With removable prosthetics, the patient takes care of the structure on his own in the future and sometimes removes it. Removable dentures can be acrylic, nylon or lamellar. Such constructions are relatively cheap, provide chewing functions well, are durable and can qualitatively improve the appearance of the dentition. Some types of removable dentures solve the problem of complete loss of the dentition in the upper or lower jaws.
Fixed prosthetics are more complex, but the results are worth it. However, with fixed prosthetics, it is important to take into account one nuance – the teeth adjacent to the prosthesis often have to be ground down, which subsequently leads to the loss of healthy teeth in the neighborhood. In addition, such a prosthesis can only be installed if there are absolutely healthy teeth next to the object of prosthetics, since they will serve as a support for bridges, crowns or inlays. Thus, the orthopedic dentist is able to restore the destroyed part of the tooth without resorting to implantation or prosthetics, in cases where it is impossible to restore the tooth with a filling.
A crown can be used to restore, basically, a depulped tooth, previously devoid of nerves. They are made from various materials. Today, the most common are metal-ceramic crowns, which have a metal frame and are covered with ceramics on top.
Inlays are used in cases where the crown part of the tooth is preserved in some places, and material can be inserted into the existing cavity to hide the defect. The method of restoring a tooth with the help of tabs is called microprosthetics. The finished liner is attached to the tooth by introducing a filling material.
Veneers are thin plates that are fixed to the front surface of the tooth. They are mainly used to restore the surface of the front teeth, allowing such teeth to acquire a natural look and color. Veneers are made from porcelain or ceramic. The cost of fixed dentures varies depending on the materials for the manufacture of artificial teeth and fasteners. Such structures serve for about 10 years, if you take care of them competently and efficiently.
With conditionally removable prosthetics, only a doctor is able to quickly and painlessly remove a molar or canine from the dentition, and the patient himself will not be able to do this. This technique is used to restore one unit in the dentition.
Preparing for the visit
A dentist-orthopedist can conduct long-term appointments, depending on the severity of the problem that the patient is addressing, the ability to immediately detect defects and determine ways to eliminate them. In addition, often the orthopedist can send the patient during the X-ray examination, to the surgeon or therapist. Therefore, in order to feel optimal at the appointment with this doctor, you should prepare for such a visit.
An hour before visiting the doctor, you need to eat a hearty meal, but the food should not be fatty. Visiting the dentist on an empty stomach is not recommended, as hunger increases salivation, which can interfere with normal examination.
It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol on the eve of a visit to the dentist.
Before visiting a doctor, you should thoroughly clean your mouth from food debris and plaque. If you have dentures, you must bring them with you to the appointment.
It is important to make a list of all your chronic diseases in order to notify the doctor about them. Many types of prostheses have a number of contraindications that can lead to very serious consequences.
How to choose an orthopedic dentist
A good orthopedic dentist must meet certain criteria that characterize the quality of his work. You need to start choosing a specialist from the place of his work, where you can clearly understand how qualified the doctor is. In dentistry, all licenses and diplomas of a doctor must be provided upon request, so that the patient can make sure that he gets an appointment with a professional. Also, the clinic usually contains all kinds of distinctive documents of specialists – diplomas and certificates that the dentist received for high-quality and highly professional work.
A qualified doctor should focus in his work not on the number of processes that he can simultaneously perform, but on their quality performance. When choosing a dentist, you need to find out what tools and materials he uses in his work, which can demonstrate how much the specialist is aware of the latest in his industry and whether he keeps up with the times, installing new generation prostheses for patients that can be worn for decades.
In general, dentists in various fields can help a person eliminate all kinds of dental diseases. However, very often banal therapy is not enough and the patient has to seek help from an orthopedic dentist who is able to completely restore a whole tooth or its various parts.