What does a prosthetic mouth mean?

A prosthetic mouth is when certain elements from your mouth have been replaced with prosthesis to restore the normal chewing functions. Prosthetic elements include implants, bridges, crowns, veneers or dentures made to replace missing teeth or improve the appearance of damaged teeth.

Prosthesis is a term used where a few teeth are replaced with artificial teeth to make your teeth look like how they used to be. Some people choose removable options to replace their teeth like acrylic dentures or flexible dentures etc. Some may choose fixed options like fixed dentures, implant-supported dentures, fixed tooth-colored bridges, etc. Some people also opt for smile designing procedures like veneers and laminates to get a beautiful-looking smile.

Causes (Habits, Hereditary, Medical Conditions)

• Missing tooth/teeth- Missing teeth can be due to various reasons like moving teeth, gum infections, decayed tooth that needed removal, broken tooth, fractured tooth that needed extraction, etc.
• Root canal treated tooth/teeth- Decayed tooth that needed a root canal treatment and a cap placement on top.
• Smile designing - minor small irregularities and imperfections treated with veneer and laminates
• Chipped/broken teeth- minor fractures which caused repeated fillings and had to be replaced with crowns/ caps
• Fractured tooth - Sudden fall, accidents or accidentally chewing or biting hard can cause your teeth to fracture and require it’s removal followed by replacement.

Common signs and symptoms of having a prosthetic mouth

• Caps/crowns/ bridges in your mouth
• Removable dentures in the mouth
• Fixed dentures in the mouth
• False artificial teeth
• Flexible dentures to replace missing teeth in the mouth
• Fixed bridges in the mouth
• Veneers and laminates on front teeth
• Fixed zirconia crowns
• Implants in the mouth
• Splints to stabilize moving teeth in the mouth
• Tooth jewellery, diamond piercings on teeth, teeth grills, etc

Tests required to confirm symptoms / oral type

Consequences / long-term impact if not addressed in time

• Swollen and puffy gums if hygiene is not maintained
• Gingivitis and periodontitis ( gum infections )
• Gum irritations and redness
• Frequent ulcerations
• Pricky sensations
• Loose teeth
• Loss of jaw bone

Prone to which diseases (Dental & otherwise)

• Periodontitis

At-home care (Habits)

• Prosthetic mouth needs more hygiene maintenance as there are more chances of food lodgement and plaque and calculus buildup.
• Root canal treated teeth with crowns on top need to be cleaned from the gum line as there is more food lodgement and chances of re-infection.
• Dentures need to be cleaned before and after every use to avoid oral infections like candidal infections.
• Use interdental brushes to clean below the areas of the bridges and minute spaces and gaps between your teeth to keep it plaque-free.
• Massaging your gums helps in making your gums strong and tight to prevent moving teeth in the future.
• Brushing using the right technique to make sure no much amount of food particles and plaque is left behind.
• If no teeth are present in the mouth, cleaning your gum pads to make sure no plaque remains on your gums.

What dental products should you use?

Choosing the right dental products for a prosthetic mouth can help you increase the lifespan of your artificial teeth and reduce the number of times you need to visit a dentist. If you have a prosthetic mouth you surely need different dental products to take care of your teeth. Here is what you should be using —

• Use a medium - soft bristle toothbrush
• Preferably use a water jet flosser to clean the areas in and around the prosthesis or you could use the floss thread to clean the areas between two teeth.
• Use anti-discoloration mouthwashes - as certain contents in the mouthwash can stain your false teeth, crowns/ caps, etc.
• Small mini- tuft toothbrush to clean areas below the prosthesis
• Gum tightening solution for gum massage
• You can choose U/ T/V shaped tongue cleaners to clean your tongue

The bottom line

People with prosthetic mouth need to pay more attention to their oral hygiene, teeth, and their gum health. Choosing the right dental care products for your mouth can save you from gum diseases and cavities too (click here to know which dental products are right for you). You can simply scan your teeth on your phone (on the DentalDost App) to know if you have a prosthetic mouth.

Highlights

• Prosthesis in your mouth includes bridges, caps, crowns, dentures, implants, splints, etc to replace the lost elements of your teeth in the mouth.
• Hygiene maintenance in and around your prosthesis is very important in prosthetic cases.
• Prosthetic mouth need more care are there are chances of re-infection in the mouth
• Choose the right dental products for your prosthetic mouth to increase the lifespan of the prosthesis in your mouth