Prosthodontics is a dental specialty that uses biocompatible substitutes (prosthetics) to maintain oral function, comfort, appearance, and health of patients who have missing or deficient teeth, or missing or damaged oral and maxillofacial tissues.
A prosthodontist is a dentist who specializes in implant, esthetic and reconstructive dentistry. Prosthodontists plan and fabricate various prostheses to treat complex cosmetic cases, full mouth reconstructions, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) related disorders, congenital disorders, and sleep apnea.
Prosthodontics is a recognized American Dental Association specialty of dentistry. Prosthodontists complete three years of additional formal training in an accredited residency training program after the required four years of dental school. Some prosthodontists further their training in oral and maxillofacial prosthodontics–a subspecialty in prosthodontics concerned with the replacement of missing facial structures such as ears, eyes and nose.
Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, congenital disorders, sleep apnea, congenital craniofacial malformations (craniosynostosis), trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region, and missing or deficient teeth.
Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including dental implants, esthetic dentistry, reconstructive dentistry, full mouth reconstruction, restorative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics, crowns, bridges, dentures, partial dentures, inlays, onlays, and veneers.
Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 2,295 practicing prosthodontists. Broken out by state, prosthodontics doctor density in Alabama is 23, in Alaska is 6, in Arizona is 35, in Arkansas is 4, in California is 329, in Colorado is 39, in Connecticut is 43, in Delaware is 3, in District of Columbia is 23, in Florida is 168, in Georgia is 71, in Hawaii is 24, in Idaho is 3, in Illinois is 47, in Indiana is 33, in Iowa is 38, in Kansas is 13, in Kentucky is 23, in Louisiana is 24, in Maine is 10, in Maryland is 69, in Massachusetts is 191, in Michigan is 57, in Minnesota is 42, in Mississippi is 7, in Missouri is 21, in Montana is 2, in Nebraska is 17, in Nevada is 10, in New Hampshire is 9, in New Jersey is 125, in New Mexico is 11, in New York is 305, in North Carolina is 56, in North Dakota is 2, in Ohio is 58, in Oklahoma is 18, in Oregon is 25, in Pennsylvania is 103, in Rhode Island is 8, in South Carolina is 23, in South Dakota is 1, in Tennessee is 29, in Texas is 176, in Utah is 12, in Vermont is 2, in Virginia is 62, in Washington is 71, in West Virginia is 6, and in Wisconsin is 56.
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