Dental prosthesis and devitalization

Studio Piergiorgio Testa, Ortisei

Dental prosthesis and devitalization

The dental prosthesis is a capsule tailored to cover a tooth: this is made of a very resistant metal core and it is coated in resin or ceramic.

Its function is mainly protective and it is used to strengthen a severely damaged tooth, thus preventing it from fracturing or breaking. When a dental prosthesis is positioned, the underlying tooth is usually devitalized: as a matter of facts, since the tooth has to be reduced as a dimension, it can become sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and mechanical stimuli thus causing discomfort (if not sometimes even pain) to the patient.

We would like to recall that a well devitalized tooth has the same probability of durability as a vital tooth.