Your patients are not aware of the amount of time and precision that goes into the preparation, design, and fabrication of a
crown, bridge, denture or veneer. The delivery of a cast or porcelain restoration to a patient truly involves a team; including the
dentist, dental assistant, business manager and dental laboratory technician. Fixed prosthodontics is a tremendous financial and
oral health investment for your patients.
Fixed Prosthodontics also referred to as "crown and bridge", is the specialized area of dentistry involved in replacing missing
teeth with a gold or porcelain "prosthesis"-artificial replacement. For example, a patient wearing an artificial leg, arm or denture,
is wearing a "prosthesis".
Please answer the following questions:
1. What are the more common terms used to describe a fixed prosthesis?
2. If a patient has poor dental hygiene, grinds their teeth and other habits like chewing ice, are they a good candidate for fixed
prosthodontics? Why so or why not?
3. A bridge is described by the number of units (teeth) involved. If I am going to prepare a three unit bridge for teeth #s 12-14.
please explain which teeth will be classified as abutments, and which tooth or teeth are pontic(s)?