A
dental prosthesis is an intraoral (inside the
mouth)
prosthesis used to
restore (reconstruct) intraoral defects such as missing
teeth, missing parts of
teeth, and missing soft or hard structures of the
jaw and
palate.
Prosthodontics is the dental specialty that focuses on dental prostheses. Such prostheses are used to rehabilitate
mastication (chewing), improve aesthetics, and aid speech. A dental prosthesis may be held in place by connecting to teeth or
dental implants, by suction, or by being held passively by surrounding muscles. Like other types of prostheses, they can either be fixed permanently or removable;
fixed prosthodontics and removable
dentures are made in many variations. Permanently fixed dental prostheses use dental adhesive or screws, to attach to teeth or dental implants. Removal prostheses may use friction against parallel hard surfaces and undercuts of adjacent teeth or dental implants, suction using the mucous retention (without or without aid from denture adhesives), and by exploiting the surrounding muscles and anatomical contours of the jaw to passively hold in place.