Prosthodontics is a highly specialised area of dentistry which focuses on rebuilding natural teeth and restoring missing gaps using artificial replacements to achieve a great aesthetic effect and restore full functionality. A prosthodontist practitioner will have completed an accredited programme over a minimum of 3 years and has a high level of expertise. They will also have a good working knowledge of other areas of dentistry so they are able to provide excellent care.

Due to their expert knowledge, you may be referred to a prosthodontic dentist for more complex issues or for a second opinion. You may be referred to them to for issues including dental implants, porcelain veneers, aesthetic dentistry, jaw joint problems, complex and multi-disciplinary special care cases and full-mouth reconstruction. A prosthodontist may also be called upon if you have had previous dental treatment that has not gone as planned and requires attention.

Like an artist, a prosthodontist will use several disciplines to design a perfect smile for their patient. These disciplines include;

• Vertical symmetry between the upper and lower proportions of your teeth.
• The ‘smile line’ between the biting edges of your top teeth.
• Tooth proportion, a height to width ratio which should ideally be 0.7:1
• The horizontal smile line between your eyes and canine teeth.
• The golden ratio of 1.6:1:0.6 which is found in various points of the face, in this case in relation to visible tooth surface, and is seen as the optimal ratio for aesthetic balance.
• Gum or gingival line, which should ideally be as thin as possible with just small triangle of gum tissue being visible when you smile.
• Embrasure; the triangular spaces between the tips of your teeth which ideally should be smaller between the front teeth and then increase in size in teeth that are further back. They can make your smile look more feminine or masculine depending on the shape of them.