The patients who end up seeing a prosthodontist often didn't plan on it. Their general dentist completed the exam and said the work was complex enough to require a specialist. If that's where you are, you're past the "what is a prosthodontist" question. What you want to know is what that care involves and what it's designed to accomplish.
Prosthodontists complete dental school and then finish a three-year residency focused entirely on restoring and replacing teeth, with that training built around one clinical priority: making the full bite work after restoration, not the damaged tooth alone. They evaluate how the teeth, bite, gums, and jaw structure relate to one another before any work begins. That assessment is what shapes the plan.
ProHEALTH Dental offers prosthodontic services at our Lake Success, Yonkers, Yorktown Heights, and White Plains locations.
To speak with our team about prosthodontic care, book an appointment online.
What Prosthodontic Restoration Involves
The phrase "treatment plan" gets used a lot in dental care. At a prosthodontic level, it means something more specific: before anything is done, the prosthodontist assesses how the teeth, bite, gums, and jaw structure work together as a system. A damaged tooth doesn't exist in isolation. What's done to fix it has to function within everything around it.
Depending on the scope of the case, prosthodontic restoration may include the following:
Implant crown restoration – After a periodontist places the implant post into the jawbone, the prosthodontist designs and places the crown and abutment that complete the visible tooth. Getting both phases right is what determines whether the final result fits the bite correctly.
Full-arch reconstruction – When most or all of the teeth in an arch need to be rebuilt, the prosthodontist coordinates the entire treatment sequence. Bite alignment has to hold across every restored tooth in the arch, not only within each individual restoration.
Complex crowns and bridges – When structural damage goes beyond what a standard restoration addresses, the prosthodontist plans the work around how bite force distributes across the area. A crown that doesn't carry its share of that load shifts it to the neighboring teeth.
Reconstruction after trauma or advanced wear – Cases involving grinding, injury, or long-term decay across multiple teeth require a plan where the order of work matters. The final functional outcome has to be the starting point for deciding which tooth gets addressed first.
The restoration plan comes before any individual procedure. That's what makes it specialist-level care.
Why Restoration Matters Beyond Appearance
When a tooth is gone and not replaced, the jawbone underneath it starts to lose density. There's no root left to stimulate it. That matters for the stability of the surrounding teeth, and it's one part of a larger picture.
Missing or damaged teeth also shift the bite. When the contact changes, the remaining teeth absorb more force than they were built for. Uneven wear, cracking, and jaw strain are what that compensation looks like over time. Correcting the bite is part of what prosthodontic restoration addresses. It protects the teeth that weren't the original problem.
Significant tooth loss changes how you chew and speak. Neither is easy to ignore day-to-day. Prosthodontic restoration addresses both.
Who Handles Prosthodontic Care at Our Offices
Dr. Bruce Valauri, DDS, FACP, is a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists and a Board-Certified Prosthodontist. His scope of practice covers implant crown restoration, complex bridges and crowns, and full-mouth restorative cases. When a case involves implant placement, he works alongside Dr. Neil Karnofsky through the ProHEALTH Dental Implant Center in Lake Success. Dr. Karnofsky handles the surgical phase, Dr. Valauri handles the restoration, and both providers are involved in the case from planning through completion.
At our Yonkers, Yorktown Heights, and White Plains locations, Dr. Hayleen Moran, DDS, MS, handles prosthodontics, dental implants, full-mouth reconstruction, and full-arch cases.
ProHEALTH Dental offers financing for complex treatment through third-party providers. If your case involves extensive implant work, VIP program coverage depends on the specifics; inquire at the office as you explore your options.
If your case involves multiple teeth, significant structural loss, or an implant restoration, speaking with a prosthodontist is the next best step. A restored bite means protected bone structure, corrected alignment, and teeth that hold up over time.
Prosthodontic consultations at our Lake Success, Yonkers, Yorktown Heights, or White Plains office begin with a full evaluation of the whole bite, not a single tooth. Book online to schedule.