In oral surgery, prosthetics take the shape of dentures, implants, bridges, crowns, and more. Prosthetics are also used on many other body parts such as a missing arm or leg, a diseased heart valve, a glass eye, or artificial knee joint.
If you are interested in dental prosthetics, contact us today.
Oral surgeons use prosthetics, an artificial material, to replace missing teeth. In order to use this material, we must perform pre-prosthetic surgery to prepare your mouth for the artificial material.
Pre-prosthetic surgery is vital to the entire process because it restructures the soft and hard tissues in your mouth. This surgery aims to eliminate bone deformities, provide adequate soft tissue support, and more.
When Would I Need Pre-prosthetic Surgery?
At some point in your life, you may need to have a tooth extracted or you might be missing a tooth naturally. Pre-prosthetic surgery is best performed at the same time your tooth is extracted, or six weeks prior to the impression and formation stage of the denture process. This six-week time frame is important because it allows an appropriate time for your mouth to heal.
There are five types of pre-prosthetic surgery available at Athens Oral Surgery Center: tori reduction, tuberosity reduction, alveoplasty, vestibuloplasty, and frenectomy. Dr. Tomlinson will know exactly which surgery is best for you. He will discuss details with you during your consultation appointment.
The History of Prosthetics
Prosthetics are an incredible invention that dates back thousands of years. Thankfully, the material used for prosthetics and the expertise of surgeons has increased dramatically.
The world’s oldest known prosthetic body part is a toe, known as the Cairo toe. This leather and wooden toe was discovered attached to a female mummy who is assumed to have lived 3,000 years ago!
Call us today at 706-549-5033 for any questions you have.