A dental prosthesis, commonly referred to as “false teeth,” is a custom-made device designed to replace missing teeth or restore damaged tooth structure. The creation of these appliances is a specialized, multi-step collaboration that bridges clinical dentistry and technical craftsmanship. This process requires the precise input of a licensed dental professional, who manages the patient interface and treatment plan, and a skilled laboratory expert, who physically manufactures the restoration. The successful outcome relies on seamless communication and the accurate transfer of biological information from the mouth to the off-site fabrication facility.
The Role of the Prescribing Clinician
The journey of any dental prosthetic begins with the prescribing clinician, typically a general dentist or a specialized prosthodontist. This professional holds the primary responsibility for the patient’s oral health diagnosis and the overall treatment plan. They determine the specific type best suited for the patient’s individual needs, anatomy, and desired functional outcome.
The clinician performs the crucial initial steps of capturing the patient’s oral anatomy through detailed physical or digital impressions. They also establish the correct spatial relationship between the upper and lower jaws using a procedure called bite registration. These clinical records are legally mandated components of the prescription, which acts as a detailed blueprint sent to the laboratory.
A prosthodontist, having completed three additional years of post-doctoral training, specializes in this complex area of dentistry and often manages the most challenging cases. The clinician is responsible for selecting the appropriate materials and defining the precise design specifications for the appliance. Upon the prosthesis’s return from the lab, the clinician conducts all necessary adjustments, ensures the final fit and occlusion are correct, and ultimately places the appliance in the patient’s mouth.
The Role of the Fabrication Specialist
The direct answer to who physically makes false teeth is the Dental Laboratory Technician (DLT), or fabrication specialist. The DLT is a highly skilled artisan who works entirely off-site, receiving the clinician’s prescription and impressions to construct the custom appliance. Their work involves translating the written plan and three-dimensional mold into a functional, aesthetic restoration.
For a full denture, the technician begins by pouring the impression material to create a stone model, or master cast, of the patient’s mouth. They then use the bite registration to mount the casts onto a mechanical device called an articulator, which mimics the patient’s jaw movements. The DLT manually sets artificial teeth into wax, a process called “setting up,” meticulously arranging them to ensure proper function and a natural appearance.
The technician then completes the wax-up by contouring the wax to resemble the natural gum tissue before the entire assembly is placed into a flask. Through a process of heating, flushing out the wax, and injecting acrylic resin, the wax pattern is replaced with the final, hard acrylic base.
For fixed prosthetics like crowns or bridges, the process often involves the lost-wax technique for metal frameworks or advanced digital methods like Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) for materials such as zirconia and high-strength ceramics. While mandatory licensure varies by jurisdiction, many technicians pursue voluntary certification to become a Certified Dental Technician (CDT).
Categorizing Dental Prosthetics
Dental prosthetics are broadly categorized into two main groups, which differ in their design, materials, and clinical application.
Removable Prosthetics
These are appliances a patient can take out of their mouth for cleaning. This category includes complete dentures, which replace all teeth in an arch, and partial dentures, which replace some missing teeth while attaching to the remaining natural ones. Removable appliances are typically fabricated from acrylic resins, sometimes combined with a metal framework for increased strength and stability.
Fixed Prosthetics
These are permanently cemented or screwed into the mouth and cannot be removed by the patient. This category encompasses single crowns, which cap a damaged tooth, and dental bridges, which span the space of one or more missing teeth. Fixed restorations demand a higher level of precision and are often constructed from durable materials like porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or high-strength ceramics like zirconia. Implant-supported restorations require specialized coordination due to the surgical planning and precise fit required at the implant connection.