Dental Restoration 101

Continued from previous post…….
Speed implants as the name implies has one with the complete set of teeth in as little as two visits giving you a perfect smile instantly. There is one issue though, the healing process tends to take time and osseointegration, the process of the bone grafting onto the implant thus making it tougher takes a long time to progress. That bonding process can spell success or failure of an implant for there has been a constant flow of failure with speed implants for they tend to give a sense of security to patients who skip on the precautions and intensive care needed to obtain the necessary results.

So which is better, neither for the best set of teeth you’ll have are the ones you are born with. Artificial materials may be tougher and may last longer but they are quite expensive and need constant care to prevent failure of an implant. So start young and get your kids caring for their teeth early on, they might not like it but would surely thank you in coming years for what better gift to a child than a complete set of perfect chompers to smile with.

Dental implants have been around for a long time and have indeed made an impact on many people’s lives. The process used to be so long and tedious, not to mention quite expensive that it tends to be accessible to those who had the money to burn. Nowadays, with advances in materials technology and other areas of dental care, it has become not only cheaper but requires less time thus less trips to the dental office.

There are a lot of people who still get traditional implants but with the introduction of speed implants many have also jumped on that particular bandwagon. So which is better, traditional/staged or the faster speed implants? Well both do have their own benefits and both aim to obtain the same end result, a better smile but even dentists prefer the staged process rather than using speed implants mainly because it has more chances of success.

To understand more what dental restoration is all about, read on.

Basically, there are two different kinds of dental restoration: first, we have the direct restoration, wherein certain dental procedures like fillings, are done on the spot. When you visit your dentist and he/she recommends that you get a filling for a couple of your molars on that very same day, then that is direct restoration. But if for example, you visit your dentist and he/she fits something in your mouth, does some measurements and the like and asks you to go back after a few days, then that is what we call indirect restoration.

Photo taken from http://www.flahec.org

A dental restoration or dental filling is a dental restorative material used artificially to restore the function, integrity and morphology of missing tooth structure. The structural loss typically results from caries or external trauma. It is also lost intentionally during tooth preparation to improve the aesthetics or the physical integrity of the intended restorative material. Dental restoration also refers to the replacement of missing tooth structure by restoring dental implants.

Dental restorations may be fabricated out of a variety of materials, Common direct restorative materials include dental amalgam, glass ionomer cement and composite resins. Common restorative materials include acrylic, porcelain, zirconia, gold and other metals.

If decay is spread beyond dentin, in that case root canal therapy is used, and a crown is fit.

Thanks to modern techniques and materials in restorative dentistry, people are able to repair and replace teeth that would have been irretrievably lost not very long ago.

With state of the art dental materials and techniques such as endodontic procedures that can repair even severely damaged teeth, dentists can often prevent tooth loss even in extreme circumstances. And even when patients do lose teeth, techniques such as dental implants and bridges can be used to permanently replace missing teeth.

When teeth become damaged with cavities, it is important to stop the spread of decay as soon as possible and seal and repair the teeth to restore their function.

Having a complete set of teeth is truly something to proud of but this doesn’t mean your teeth are sparkling white. Many factors can influence the overall look and appearance of teeth such as color, alignment and even the overall bite that can be influenced by disease or trauma. A sudden blow to your jaw can knock a tooth loose or several of them in more extreme cases along with certain diseases young in life that can leave your pearly whites not as white as you would want them to be.
Badly decayed teeth can be fixed with a root canal and depending on the stability of the offending tooth, either be pulled out and replaced by implants or repaired with a jacket or crown. Discolored teeth can be made white by applying veneers that are ceramic compounds stuck onto the teeth that can be made to look whiter that your original teeth. Bleaching is said to be more of a continuing process if one wants to maintain the whiteness of their teeth so veneers and sealants do a better job. One simply has to get in touch with a dental restoration specialist(a fancy name for a cosmetic dentist) so you can get the full picture on how to bring the smile back to those pearly whites you so need everyday.

Smile in front of the mirror. Don’t overdo it; just make that natural gorgeous smile of yours. What? You see something? Oh, your gums. Some people do have that kind of condition wherein their gums are seen whenever they smile. Are you starting to get conscious about it? The latest dental technologies nowadays actually can do something about it.

Introducing the Gum Lift. This medical procedure involves the re-sculpturing of a person’s gum line. This has also been used by many dentists to treat certain gum diseases and it was only about half a decade ago that they decided to use gum lift for beautification purposes.

Photo take from http://www.smilessentials.com.au

Direct restorations are the most common restorations. They refer to fillings that are consisted of dental amalgam or silver fillings, glass ionomers and resin ionomers or white fillings. These are then placed into a prepared cavity. This procedure is done in only one visit to the dentist. On the other hand, Indirect restorations are custom made fillings in dental laboratories, according to the prescription made by the dentist. The actual procedure may be finished in two visits. Indirect restoration is more expensive than direct restorations since the former consists of a more complex (at least for me) layer of inlays, onlays, dental crowns, and bridges.