Dental prosthesis

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.^[1] Prosthodontics is the dental specialty that focuses on dental prostheses. Such prostheses are used to rehabilitate mastication (chewing), improve aesthetics, and aid speech. A dental prosthesis may be held in place by connecting to teeth or dental implants, by suction, or by being held passively by surrounding muscles. Like other types of prostheses, they can either be fixed permanently or removable; fixed prosthodontics and removable dentures are made in many variations. Permanently fixed dental prostheses use dental adhesive or screws, to attach to teeth or dental implants. Removal prostheses may use friction against parallel hard surfaces and undercuts of adjacent teeth or dental implants, suction using the mucous retention (with or without aid from denture adhesives), and by exploiting the surrounding muscles and anatomical contours of the jaw to passively hold in place.^[2]

Implants

A dental implant (also known as an endosseous implant or fixture) is a prosthesis that interacts with the jawbone or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, or facial prosthesis, or acts as an orthodontic anchor.^[3][4] Modern dental implants rely on a biological process called osseointegration, in which materials such as titanium or zirconium dioxide form a direct bond with bone. Typically, the implant fixture is surgically placed in the bone and allowed to integrate before an abutment and the dental prosthesis are attached.^[5]

Single-tooth implants are ideal for replacing individual missing teeth, providing a natural outcome. All-on-4 implants provide full dental arch restoration using only four strategically located implants. All-on-6 implants provide increased stability and support for full upper or lower jaw replacement.^[6][7] There is a practice whereby patients from European countries, including the United Kingdom, travel abroad to clinics such as Smile Center Turkey for implant-based treatments due to cost differences.^[8]

The success of dental implants depends primarily on the quantity and quality of the surrounding bone and soft tissues, as well as the overall health of the patient and factors that may affect osseointegration.^{[9][10][11][12]} The amount of load that will be exerted on the implant and fixture during normal function is also assessed. Planning the position and number of implants is key to the long-term health of the prosthesis, as the biomechanical forces generated during chewing can be significant. Implant positioning is determined by the position and angle of adjacent teeth, through laboratory modeling or using computed tomography with CAD/CAM modeling^[13] and surgical guides called stents. Healthy bone and gum tissue are necessary conditions for the long-term success of osseointegrated dental implants. Since after tooth extraction these can atrophy, pre-prosthetic procedures such as sinus lifting or gum grafting are sometimes required to restore ideal bone and gum tissue.

The final prosthesis can be fixed, where the patient cannot remove the prosthesis or teeth, or removable, where the prosthesis can be taken out. In both cases, an abutment is attached to the implant. In fixed prostheses, the crown, bridge, or denture is secured to the abutment with retention screws or dental cement. In removable prostheses, a corresponding adapter is placed into the prosthesis to connect the two parts.^{[citation needed]}

Examples

Some examples of dental prostheses include:

• dentures
• partial denture
• palatal obturator
• orthodontic appliance
• dental implant
• crown
• bridge
• pivot tooth

See also

• Medicine portal

• Prosthodontics
• Dental restoration
• Dental braces

References

1. Tan, Dr Kent. "Dental Implants as a Treatment For Missing Teeth: A Literature Review". My Implant Dentist. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
2. Dental Implants Chermside
3. "What is a Dental Implant?". PrismaDental. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
4. "Dental Implant". DentWe. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
5. Mohammad, Shadab (2017). "Dental implants". National Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery. 8 (2): 87–88. doi:10.4103/njms.NJMS_79_17. PMC 5773996. PMID 29386808.
6. "What Type of Dental Implants in Malibu is Right For My Situation?". MalibuDentistry. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
7. "What Type of Dental Implants Do I Need". CamarilloCosmeticDentistry. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
8. "What is Dental Implant?". Smile Center. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
9. "Can you get dental implants with thin but healthy gums?". Clear Choice. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
10. "Dental Implants". ufhealth.org. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
11. "Can dental implants fail, and what are the common reasons?". Coppertop Surgery. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
12. "Osseointegration and Dental Implants: A Comprehensive Guide". ariadental.net.au. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
13. Li, Sha; Yi, Chun; Yu, Ziyang; Wu, Aozhou; Zhang, Yu; Lin, Ye (27 June 2023). "Accuracy assessment of implant placement with versus without a CAD/CAM surgical guide by novices versus specialists via the digital registration method: an in vitro randomized crossover study". BMC Oral Health. 23 (1) 426. doi:10.1186/s12903-023-03116-6. PMC 10294323. PMID 37370027.