Dental prostheses

A dental prosthesis is an appliance designed to reconstruct a tooth following a cavity or fracture.  It can also be used to replace one or several missing teeth, either using a fixed device (crown, bridge and implant), or a removable device. A prosthesis helps restore good bite function, which is important to your overall health. It also curbs the movement of other teeth, restores phonetic function and improves the appearance of your smile.

There are different types of dental prostheses:

• A fixed prosthesis: it can be attached to natural teeth or onto implants. This type of prosthesis allows us to reconstruct a decayed tooth or replace one or several missing teeth.This prosthetic restoration is the closest option to natural teeth.
• A removable prosthesis: as its name indicates, is a prosthesis that can be removed. It usually replaces several teeth, and can be complete or partial. This option is often used as a short-term solution, since a removable prosthesis is more affordable than a fixed prosthesis. A removable partial prosthesis is well-suited to temporary or transitional restoration while gums and bone are healing.
• An overdenture: any partial or complete prosthesis can be complemented by a retaining medium installed on the natural roots or on dental implants, using devices called “anchors”.

A number of technical steps are involved in the creation of a dental prosthesis to achieve the best possible results. The creation of the prosthesis depends on a range of anatomical, morphological, cosmetic and technical factors. Our Ardentis Digital Lab in Lausanne works closely with our dentists to create fixed and removable dental appliances, using a fully digital workflow.