dental disorders
Dental Appliances
Types of dental appliance
Dental appliances include Fixed bridges Removable partial dentures Removable complete dentures Osseo-integrated implants Abridge(fixed partial denture) is composed of false teeth cast or soldered to each other and, at each end, to a crown that is cemented to natural (abutment) teeth, which bear all the stress of biting. Bridges can now be made by milling using computer-aided design and manufacturing technology. Once cemented into place, a bridge is not removed. A bridge is smaller than a removable partial denture, but one or multiple bridges can be made to replace many of the teeth in a dental arch. Aremovable partial denture,typically an appliance with clasps that snap over abutment teeth, may be removed for cleaning and during sleep. Part of the occlusal stress may be borne by the soft tissues under the denture, often on both sides of the jaw. This appliance commonly is used when many teeth have to be replaced and bridges or implants are not feasible or affordable. Complete denturesare removable appliances used when no teeth remain. They help a patient chew and improve speech and appearance but do not provide the efficiency or sensation of natural dentition. When teeth are absent, the mandible slowly resorbs, resulting in ill-fitting dentures that require revision (called reline or rebase) or replacement. Alternatives are oral surgical procedures to enlarge the alveolar ridge or dental implants to replace missing teeth. Animplantis typically a titanium cylinder or screw that replaces a tooth root. One or more implants are placed into the alveolar bone, where they integrate into the surrounding bone. Either immediately, or up to 6 months later, the artificial teeth (ranging from an individual tooth up to full arch dentures) are attached to the implants. Implants are not readily removable, although the prostheses they support can be. The potential for infection at these sites warrants scrupulous attention to oral hygiene. 