Preventive dentistry has continuous measures that help dentists and patients avoid diseases of the teeth and gums. This minimizes the risk of disease and detects occurring diseases at an early stage, allowing dentists to treat with little intervention. However, when oral hygiene is not present or adequate, cavities and gum issues start to show up. That is when general and restoration dentistry is usually the answer most people turn to.
Here are some of the common restorative methods the restorative dentist in West Chicago are performing:
• Composite restorations – Plastic tooth-colored composite restorations correct defects in the anterior teeth in a single appointment. They are placed directly in the patient’s mouth and are adhesively attached to the tooth structure. With the correct choice of color and filling, they are indistinguishable.
• Veneers -These are thin ceramic structures, which are used primarily in the anterior region of tooth. Dentists use them in the gentle treatment of pale discoloration and shape or position correction issues.
• Amalgam – Amalgam is composed of a silver-tin-copper alloy, with additions of zinc and mercury. Today, only gamma-2-free amalgams are used.
• Cement fillings – Cement fillings (glass ionomer cement, stone cement) provide patients with limited restorations, mainly due to the mechanical properties of the materials involved.
• Inlay restorations – The direct intra-oral fabrication of material-optimized or extensive restorations for severely damaged posterior teeth with plastic filling materials are limited by the difficult accessibility to the working field, and the wet conditions, in a patient’s mouth. The repair of medium and large posterior defects with indirectly-made inlay fillings, in many cases, represents a long-term alternative.
• Gold inlays – These restorations are produced from high-gold alloys in the casting process. The exact implementation of the preparation by the dentist requires a lot of care and manual dexterity. Visible edges cannot always be avoided, though.
• Ceramic inlays – All-ceramic inlays are highly aesthetic tooth-colored restorations. Ceramic inlays are only displayed if the cavity is free from contamination (blood, saliva, crevicular fluid), and can be maintained. Otherwise, you must switch to other restoration techniques.
• Composite inlays – Composite inlays are now largely obsolete by the ceramic alternatives. The focus of the therapy with composite inlays is the supply of inlay cavities for single teeth. The attachment of composite inlays is analogous to ceramic inlays by consuming adhesive bonding to the tooth.
For more information, contact your local restorative dentist in West Chicago by visiting the Dupage Dental Smiles website.
