What Is a Prosthodontist? Services in Wilmington, NC

What Is a Prosthodontist?

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist in replacing and restoring teeth. After four years of dental school, a prosthodontist completes three more years of full-time, accredited residency training devoted entirely to implants, crowns and bridges, dentures, veneers, and rebuilding worn or damaged bites.

Prosthodontics is one of the twelve dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association. It is also one of the smallest: roughly two percent of dentists in the United States are prosthodontists, which is why most people have never been to one and why the word is unfamiliar even to patients who need the work.

The distinction that matters in practice is not which procedures a prosthodontist can perform, since a general dentist can perform most of them. It is the planning. A prosthodontist is trained to treat the mouth as one system, so a crown is designed around how the whole bite closes, a veneer is matched to teeth that have to keep doing a job, and a full-arch case is sequenced from the final result backwards. That training is worth least on a single filling and most when several teeth, or a whole arch, have to work together.

Dr. Jennifer Pan earned her prosthodontic certificate at the University of California, San Francisco, and practices in Wilmington, NC. If you want the comparison in detail, see prosthodontist vs. dentist and prosthodontist vs. cosmetic dentist, or read why see a prosthodontist.

What a Prosthodontist Treats

The twelve services below are what that training covers in practice. They divide into three kinds of work: replacing teeth that are gone, restoring teeth that are damaged or worn, and improving the appearance of teeth that are sound but do not look the way you want them to.

Prosthodontist FAQ

What is a prosthodontist?

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist in replacing and restoring teeth. The title requires three years of accredited, full-time training beyond dental school, in dental implants, crowns and bridges, dentures, veneers, and full mouth reconstruction. Prosthodontics is one of the twelve specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, and roughly two percent of dentists in the United States hold it.

What does a prosthodontist do?

A prosthodontist handles the work that rebuilds a mouth rather than maintains one: replacing missing teeth with implants, bridges or dentures, restoring broken and worn teeth with crowns, correcting appearance with veneers and bonding, and planning full mouth reconstruction where the whole bite needs rebuilding. The common thread is designing how teeth fit together, not just filling or cleaning them.

What is the difference between a prosthodontist and a general dentist?

A general dentist completes dental school and is licensed to perform most procedures, including implants and crowns. A prosthodontist has completed three further years of specialist training focused entirely on replacing and restoring teeth. For a single crown either is appropriate. For a complex case, several teeth, a failing restoration, or a bite that needs rebuilding, the extra training is what the specialty exists for.

Is a prosthodontist the same as a cosmetic dentist?

No. "Cosmetic dentist" describes the type of work and is not a recognized specialty, so any licensed dentist may use the term. Prosthodontics is an ADA-recognized specialty with a defined training pathway. A prosthodontist does cosmetic work, but plans appearance and function together, which matters most when the teeth being changed also have to do a job.

Do I need a referral to see a prosthodontist?

No. You can book directly. General dentists across southeastern North Carolina also refer patients to Dr. Pan for implant, reconstruction and complex restorative cases, and in those cases routine care continues with your own dentist.

When should I see a prosthodontist instead of my dentist?

The usual triggers are missing teeth you want replaced properly, a denture that no longer fits, several failing crowns at once, extensive wear from grinding, a front tooth that has to match its neighbors exactly, or a plan that involves more than two or three teeth at a time. If your own dentist has suggested a referral, that is generally why.

Prosthodontic & Cosmetic Dentistry Services