The dentist's expertise is highly significant when performing dental aesthetic restorations. However, it is not the only important aspect of dental practice.
A good dentist must be able to explain the treatment to the patient clearly and effortlessly. The patient should be fully aware of what the dentist will do and agree to proceed with the treatment plan.
However, frequently, verbal communication is not enough to ensure that the patient understands what is being explained. In these cases, the dentist can use a teeth model to provide a procedure's visual explanation.
A teeth model, also known as a dental study model, is a simple tool that looks like a mouth. These models can be designed on the same scale as a standard mouth or enlarged.
Enlarged models help the patient visualize better what is being explained. However, real-size models depict the mouth and teeth more accurately.
Dental study models are made of hard plastic. They mimic both the teeth and the gums to simulate a realistic mouth. Nonetheless, the portion that emulates the gums is transparent in some models. This allows the patient to see the teeth roots underneath it. This way, the dentist can explain in more detail the teeth' anatomy and talk about conditions associated with roots, such as dental abscesses and cysts.
Also, teeth models usually have a hinge that allows the dentist to simulate the mouth's opening and closing movements.
Teeth models come in different shapes and versions that represent multiple conditions and treatments, such as:
● Regular teeth model:
This is the most basic type of model. It mimics a healthy mouth and can be enlarged or regular-sized. Moreover, they can depict an adult mouth or a child's dental arch.
On some occasions, some of the teeth can depict dental caries. This helps the patient understand how they look.
● Orthodontic model:
This model is similar to a regular teeth model. However, in this case, the teeth have braces bonded to them.
The dentist uses orthodontic models to explain the different types of braces and how they work.
● Implant model:
Dental implant models have implants placed inside their dental arch. These models have clear gums, so the patient can see how the implant looks and how it is placed inside the bone.
Implant models are excellent tools to help answer any doubts that the patient might have about the treatment and procedure.
● Typodont model:
The typodont is mainly used by dentistry students. They can practice any procedure on the typodont teeth before performing them on an actual patient.
Typodont teeth are interchangeable. This allows the students to replace any teeth they have already restored with new ones.