Prosthodontist explained by Dr. Joe KravitzA prosthodontist is a dental expert who specializes in the restoration and replacement of teeth.

The root word- prostho means false, artificial or replacement; and dontist means dentist or tooth. Many of my friends now know what a prosthodontist is through education about the dental profession.

A prosthodontist invests in extensive education, education, study and practice (at an accredited dental school or hospital) involving:

  • Restoring optimum appearance and function of your smile
  • Replacement of missing teeth with dentures, partials, plates, complete dentures, removable partial dentures, fixed bridges and dental implants
  • Fixing broken, defective and dark teeth with inlays, onlays, ceramic veneers, porcelain veneers, caps, crowns, fillings, bonding and composites.
  • Understanding how to fix the bite, occlusion, smile lines, smile, TMJ and temporomandibular joint
  • Making bite guards and snore guard appliances
  • Training includes reviews of scientific literature, lectures, teaching other dentists and students, treatment of patients, research, and laboratory experience in fabricating restorations
  • A skilled architect who can restore the function and appearance of the mouth – teeth, gums, bone and smile
  • Prosthodontics is one of the nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association
  • Graduate programs include classroom lectures, presentations, intense study and practice is aesthetics/cosmetics, prevention, inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers, bridges, dentures, TMJ, snoring, dental implants, tooth grinding and clenching, injuries to the mouth, birth defects, oral cancer, and partial or complete oral rehabilitation, and pathology of the mouth.
  • Mastery of the scientific basics of how the mouth functions and heals properly

Most prosthodontists devote years of additional training after dental school in a program accredited by the American Dental Association based either at a hospital or a university. The training includes reviews of the literature, lectures, treatment of patients and laboratory experience in fabricating restorations. There are approximately 3,200 prosthodontists in the United States of America today.

A prosthodontist is not a cosmetic dentist, though cosmetics and aesthetics are paramount in the mind of a prosthodontist. The American Dental Association does not recognize Cosmetic Dentistry as a specialty. Cosmetics and aesthetics fall under the specialty of prosthodontics.

Please realize that dentistry is not perfect. If it were, we would not need prosthodontists and other dentists. However, the prosthodontist engages in a perpetual process to improve understanding, techniques and success rates for patients.

All the best to your success-

Dr. Joe Kravitz
Prosthodontist, Author and Speaker
Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia