Prosthodontics & Prosthodontists Specialists


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Prosthodontics is a specialist field of dentistry which focuses on replacing missing teeth using a range of dental restorative prostheses, such as dentures, bridges and dental crowns. Prosthodontic specialists may hold posts in an NHS hospital, a community dental clinic or in a private specialist practice. They may also hold an academic post in postgraduate education and training.

Prosthodontic specialists can replace teeth which have gone missing due to injury or disease. They do this by making use of a range of fixed or removable dental restorations after assessing the aesthetic and functional requirements as well as the needs of the patient. Several other factors can contribute to which prostheses is used including age, understanding and social issues. Crowns are used to cover the surface of a tooth and can be made of a variety of materials. The most popular materials used in crowns are porcelain which has been coloured to match your teeth and precious metals like gold. Crowns are required when a tooth has become badly injured whether due to decay, trauma or severe erosion. Crowns can help to restore functionality to a tooth by protecting it from the forces and pressure put on it by chewing as well as restoring its appearance. You can also use crowns to make teeth more aesthetically presentable if they have become severely discoloured and won't respond to whitening techniques. Crowns can also be used to help correct the size, shape or inclination of a tooth or may be used to support other types of restorations such as partial dentures or bridges. Bridges are a type of dental restoration used to replace one or more teeth by using the surrounding teeth as anchors. Dentures can be used to replace all of your teeth or just a few and are completely removable by the patient.


In addition to being a registered dentist, a trainee Prosthodontic specialist must also have 2 year of postgraduate general professional training at a minimum. They will also need to have attained a diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery or its analogue from the Royal College of Surgeons. Training for a Prosthodontic speciality means you have to undergo three years of postgraduate training. This will help prepare you for the Master of Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics exam. A Diploma of Membership in Restorative dentistry exam which is set by the Royal College of Surgeons is also required. During this exam, all the facets of general dentistry will be covered as well as testing trainee's knowledge of prosthodontics. After successfully completing these exams, trainees are awarded their Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training, which means they are able to be registered on the Prosthodontics specialist list.

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