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Dental
Restorations
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A dental
restoration
is any dental work done with the purpose of
restoring the functionality and / or look of a tooth. They are most
often used to replace parts of the tooth lost to tooth decay
or to an accident. The ideal restoration does both in equal parts.
There are two basic types of dental restorations: a direct and an
indirect restoration. A direct restoration is created within the
mouth. An indirect restorations is created and then placed inside the
mouth. A cavity filling is probably the most common type of dental restoration. These are a type of direct restoration, but even here there are several types of fillings used. Amalgam fillings, sometimes known as silver fillings, used to be very common, but have fallen out of favor with dentists. They have been pretty much replaced by composite fillings. These are white fillings that make it virtually impossible to tell that a filling even exists in the patients' mouth. Another type of common dental restoration is the dental crown. This replaces any part of the tooth that is above the gum line. They are used only when extensive decay has occurred or as an essential part of root canal therapy. Bridges are used to replace a single missing tooth surrounded by two healthy teeth. Partial dentures and full dentures are used when a larger number of teeth are missing. A porcelain inlay area type of indirect restoration because it is created and then cemented into place. Many people need a dental restoration because of an unavoidable accident but in many cases proper oral hygiene on the patients part could have prevented the necessity for such work to be done. The very next step after decay is removed from a tooth is that something must be placed in that space to give strength back to the tooth. Fillings : Fillings are the best and most common restorative procedure. Inlays and Onlays : In addition to fillings, lab fabricated inlays and onlays are also sometimes used. Although many patients think of these as fillings as well, they are actually different since they are laboratory fabricated. White Filling: The most popular kind of 'white filling' is called a Composite filling. It is made up of a composite quartz resin (glass and porcelain) and usually contains some sort of light sensitive agent that is used during curing. They are an attractive, durable alternative to silver (amalgam) fillings. In the past, white fillings were placed only on front teeth, but recently these composite materials have been specifically designed to be able to survive the pressure of grinding when you chew. These light cured composites are best looking and in most cases they can be inserted in one appointment. Silver (amalgam) fillings: Today, the use of white composite resin fillings is more in vogue by most dentists. The principal component of amalgam is Mercury. Due to the toxicity of Mercury, the principle component of amalgam fillings, there is great debate as to the safety of these fillings. Gamma-2-free amalgams continue to be used today because they are hard, durable and inexpensive, despite the controversy. T here may still be unique circumstances that call for a silver (amalgam) filling, like placing on back teeth (molars). White porcelain Inlays or Onlays filling: This is used when cosmetics and wear resistance is most important for a patients. A porcelain inlay or onlay is used when the cavity is too big for a filling, but isn't so big that a crown is required. An inlay is a filling within the cusp tips of the tooth. Onlays (also known as overlays) will overlay one or more cusps in order to protect and strengthen the tooth. This type of filling costs about the same as an indirect composite inlay / onlay and takes two visits. Gold: An inlay or onlay may also be made of gold. Gold fillings despite being expensive, have long history of use with excellent durability, wear well, and do not cause excessive wear to the opposing teeth. But they do conduct heat and cold making its presence felt in the mouth. Recent advances has brought consumer focus on aesthetic results of composites and procelain veneers and crowns. Glass Ionomer Fillings: It is a filling material that is tooth colored and contains strontium, phosphate and fluoride ions. These fillings are a mixture of glass and an organic acid. They are also tooth-colored but vary in translucency. Glass ionomer fillings are less aesthetic in result as compared to what is achieved by composite resins. As far as the cavity filling preparation is concerned, glass ionomer is
comparable to the composite resin. Glass ionomer is considered fairly
conservative procedure as it disturbs fairly less tooth structure.
This filling material interacts with the enamel and dentin and
actually allows the tooth tissue to remineralize at the filling
interface. This provides a true biological and chemical seal with the
tooth. It is good for those who feel sensitivity with the rest of
their otherwise healthy looking teeth.
Q. Why should a damaged or decayed tooth be restored?
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Cosmetic Dentistry India ?. 1. Write to us your name / city name / country / from where you are seeking Dental treatment opinion with your contact details. 2. Send by email or by post copy of recent clinical observations / diagnosis / medical report translated into English. 3. Send all images in JPEG file format. 4. Send us OPG image of inner cavity / digital image files of mouth / Teeth X-rays with your detailed dental treatment requirement. |
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(Website Update 1st. Jan. 2010)