Gum disease or poor dental care leads to rapid loss of crowns. Naturally, there can be no question of any aesthetic appeal or normal functionality of the jaw in this case. To correct the situation, specialists use a clasp prosthesis.
What is the product
The clasp prosthesis is a special design, which consists of a solid arch, a plastic base and artificial crowns. It is most often used when implants cannot be installed.
It is not the first year that such products have been used to restore a partially destroyed dentition. Thanks to the use of modern materials, it allows you to recreate crowns, restore the functionality of the jaw. The arc, which is made of metal, ensures the strength and reliability of the device.
Product benefits
Clasp dentures are used by almost all dentists. They have the following virtues:
- High aesthetics. The dentition is fully restored, so the beauty of the smile does not suffer.
- Longevity. Thanks to durable plastic and metal, the design is able to experience significant loads (it’s still not worth overloading) and serve for at least 5 years.
- Easy to use. These types of prostheses are very easy to install and fix.
- Good distribution of the load on the gums, as a result of which they atrophy more slowly.
- Secure hold.
- High strength. The probability of destruction of the prosthesis is negligible.
- The ability to leave the product in the mouth overnight.
- Ability to install on implants.
Among the advantages of clasp prostheses, we can also highlight the rapid adaptation of a person to the product. It does not change speech, it is securely fixed. In addition to restoring the functionality and appearance of the patient's dentition, the specialist gets the opportunity to perform periodontal treatment.
Product flaws
Despite all the positive qualities of this design, it is not available for everyone. The disadvantages of clasp prostheses are as follows:
- The high cost of some models of the product, as their production requires time and different materials.
- They cannot be installed if there are no teeth in the oral cavity at all. For such a design, the basis on which it will be attached is important. If there are no crowns at all, then you will first have to install high-cost implants.
- Clamp connections worsen the aesthetic appearance of the dentition, as their attachments are visible.
However, such shortcomings are minor. Wearing clasp prostheses (reviews about them are mostly positive) eliminates a lot of problems, so they are used quite often.
Indications and contraindications for use
Prosthetics with clasp prostheses is made only according to the indications of the attending physician. This takes into account the presence of supporting crowns, the condition of the gums, as well as other factors. Indications for use are:
- Tip or included damage to the dentition.
- Missing one or more teeth.
- Single-sided or double-sided defects.
- Not strong enough enamel.
- Periodontosis.
- Curvature of the dentition.
- Misaligned bite.
- High degree of abrasion of the patient's natural crowns.
However, all conditions must be created to install the structure. You can highlight the following contraindications for installation:
- Presence of less than 4 own abutments.
- Small tooth height.
- Advanced form of periodontitis (disease at the last stage).
- Acute inflammation of the oral mucosa.
- Intolerance to the structure as a whole or elements of the clasp prosthesis.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Mental disorders.
You should not install the product for people with serious pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, as well as with oncological diseases.
Product classification
There are such types of clasp prostheses
- According to the method of fastening: simple clasps, complex clasps, splinting structures, products with telescopic legs. This group also includes products with locks (simple, complex, one-sided). Clasp products are characterized by fixing the structure on the arches that cling to adjacent crowns. For fixing lock products, grooves in the abutment teeth are required. If you are wondering which clasp prosthesis is better, then it is the lock that allows you to achieve high aesthetics. In addition, it allows you to evenly distribute the load on the dentition and gums.
- According to the material of manufacture: metal-free (the arc is made of very durable plastic), from an alloy of chromium and cob alt, as well as gold-platinum. The first option is perfect for those patients who suffer from various allergies. The last type is extremely expensive.
The choice of product depends on the characteristics of the supporting crowns, the degree of destruction of the dentition.
Prosthesis manufacturing steps
Bugel prostheses take time to manufacture and install. This process consists of the following laboratory and clinical steps:
- Examination of the patient. The specialist must assess the condition of the periodontium, oral cavity, support columns. If inflammatory diseases are present, they must first be cured. At this stage, the development of a plan for furtherwork.
- Preparation of supporting teeth. The technician must take the impression. This procedure takes approximately 2 hours.
- Production of an impression tray in the laboratory.
- Additional impression taking for dentures.
- Casting of the jaw model from plaster. Immediately, a model of the future prosthesis and arch is created. For this, wax is used. At the same stage, the basis of the structure is made.
- Trying on the wax frame. Here the specialist makes the fitting of the product.
- Making a plastic mold. It is also sanded and polished.
- At the last stage, the design is made and adjusted.
The whole manufacturing and installation process takes 7-20 days. However, if the oral cavity is in poor condition and there are inflammatory processes, then this period may be delayed. Attaching these types of dentures is painless.
Features of care
Regardless of what fixation of the clasp prostheses was used, the design must be looked after. Otherwise, its service life will be reduced. To keep the product clean, the following rules must be followed:
- Clean your dentures twice a day. To do this, they must be removed. You can also rinse them with special products that prevent the development of bacteria on artificial crowns. When choosing a toothpaste, you need to use products that will not harm the crowns. It is better to give up bleaching products.
- Storeproducts need to be in a special container. You can pour a disinfectant solution into it.
- To prevent the product from breaking during chewing, you should not eat foods that are too hard. It is important to learn how to fix the prosthesis correctly. If it fits exactly, then there are usually no difficulties with fixation.
- It is important to protect the structure from damage. Too hot food, direct blows to the face, accidental falls can not only break the prosthesis, but also worsen the person's condition.
- If you drink a lot of strong tea or coffee, the product may turn yellow.
In order not to spoil the artificial material, do not use abrasive cleaners.
Professional Care
After installing the structure, the patient should visit the dentist every 6 months for a preventive examination. If necessary, he performs professional cleaning of the prosthesis.
Most often ultrasound is used for this. Also, the dentist can adjust the design if a person feels some discomfort. If there is a risk of breakage of the product, you should immediately go to the dental technician. In most cases, it can be fixed quickly.
What to do in case of structural failure
In some cases, the clasp structure may break. This is the result of improper installation or operation of the product. If the prosthesis fails, it can be repaired. The duration of this procedure depends on the degree of complexity of the breakdown:
- If you leftbuilding a cast frame, then the specialist must make a new prosthesis. This requires 4-5 days.
- When the arc breaks, a new design is also needed.
- If artificial crowns are badly worn or fallen out, they should only be replaced. This will take no more than 2 days.
- If the lock breaks, it can be quickly repaired.
Proper use of the prosthesis will restore the functionality of the jaw for a long time. In this case, you do not have to use implants, the installation of which will cost the patient 30-40 thousand rubles apiece.
Product cost
It cannot be said that clasp structures are cheap, but they are affordable compared to other types of prosthetics. The average price range is:
| Product type | Cost, thousand rubles. |
| Plain clasp dentures | 15-25 |
| Complex construction with clasps | 25-30 |
| Splinting | from 30 |
| Adapter with Telescopic Leg Mount | 40-50 |
| Simple lock-retained prosthesis | 45-55 |
| Intricate locking design | from 55 |
| Gold Platinum Item | over 75 |
The cost of the product depends on the complexity of the design, as well as the quality of the materials used for its manufacture.
Patient testimonials
When choosing clasp prostheses, reviews of othersusers are very interesting for the patient. They help you make a choice. Most patients say that such designs are quite convenient to use. To get used to the product requires a minimum amount of time. The advantage of the prosthesis is its strength, reliability of fixation, as well as reasonable cost.
Some patients experienced discomfort in the first days after installation, but it was minor. There are also cases of product failure, but they occurred due to improper use of the device. At the same time, the specialists were able to quickly repair the structure.
Clasp dentures are removable structures that serve to correct many defects in the dentition. They are easy to use, strong and durable. However, these products also require appropriate care. Only in this case, the design will last a long time.
