Prosthetics is one of the sub-disciplines of medicine with a typically practical, technological and utility character. Prosthetics deals with the creation of artificial parts that replace fragments of the human body – its tissues, organs, limbs. Prosthetics may concern various areas in the human body, as well as its various functions – mobility, manual skills, the ability to eat and many others.
The most frequently distinguished areas of prosthetics include:
- dental prosthetics,
- orthopedic prosthetics,
- aesthetic prosthetics,
- hearing care professional,
- vascular prosthetics,
- spectacle optics.
Dental prosthetics
Dental prosthetics deals with an extensive branch of prosthetics. This fact should not come as a surprise – teeth are one of the most frequently “falling off” parts of the human body.
Dental prosthetics focuses on the performance of specialized restorations within the oral cavity and teeth. Both permanent and removable restorations are made, which allow you to regain efficiency in the work of the jaw. To make dentures, materials that imitate tooth enamel are most often used, which are given a specific shape and structure. The materials used include: acrylic, nylon, skeleton, acetal, porcelain, metal and ceramic dentures.
The most common dental prosthetics procedures are:
- crowns – a form of prosthesis that protects the teeth against the negative effects of microorganisms, acid substances and mechanical damage. Crowns are also used to improve the shape and appearance of the tooth. The implementation of a crown usually includes at least 2 visits, during which the tooth is prepared to supplement its tissues, and then a permanent crown is placed;
- veneers – the fastest way to improve the appearance of the tooth. Veneers are made to mask imperfections in the tooth structure, discoloration on its surface or to fill gaps between the teeth. Veneers are made of extremely durable ceramic flakes and dental adhesives;
- prosthetic bridges – made of various interconnected elements, attached to the tooth with a special crown. Prosthetic bridges are used to fill missing teeth, even several teeth long. This type of prosthesis perfectly imitates the natural dentition;
- skeletal dentures – they are used to discreetly mask missing teeth, when the remains of the natural dentition are still preserved. Fitting a frame denture is more complicated than in the case of a prosthetic bridge and requires more visits.
Orthopedic prosthetics
Orthopedic prosthetics for one of the orthopedics departments, dealing with the filling of defects in the motor organs, acquired for various reasons. The most common reasons for an orthopedic prosthesis are mechanical injuries, amputation, cancer or other diseases.
Making an orthopedic prosthesis is more difficult than with a dental prosthesis. The limbs consist of several moving parts connected by complex structures of muscle tissues. The implementation of an orthopedic prosthesis is usually associated with a long rehabilitation period, during which the patient learns to use it.
The most common type of prosthesis is the hip joint, which is at risk of developing a degenerative disease. Replacing the hip joint with a prosthesis allows you to reduce pain and regain fitness in the affected limb. Often, prostheses of the knee joint and prostheses of the upper limbs are also performed.
Aesthetic dentures
An increasingly important subdivision of prosthetics is aesthetic prosthetics, which deals with the implementation of restorations in the human body that have not only practical but also aesthetic functions. Aesthetic dentures are made primarily in the case of amputations, burns or significant deformations. Most often, aesthetic dentures are made of silicone alloys. This flexible material allows you to create exact imitations of parts of the human body – foot, hand, hand, ear, eye, breast and more.
A well-made aesthetic prosthesis should faithfully imitate the part of the body that is being replaced. For example, the prosthesis of the finger of the right hand is made by mapping the finger of the opposite hand with a cast. On its basis, the color of the prosthesis is also selected.
Aesthetic dentures are always made to individual needs. It should be noted, however, that a one-off aesthetic prosthesis is not always the final solution to the problem. The human body tends to change significantly over time. Such properties as the color of the skin, its elasticity, the number of hairs covering it, the size of the limbs and others are subject to change. An aesthetic hand imitation prosthesis may look unnatural 10 or 15 years after it was made. For this reason, an aesthetic prosthesis is often replaced with a new prosthesis after several or several years of its use.