Dental Restoration 101

It is thrilling to note that a brilliant structural engineer came up with an equally thrilling idea: if polymer (fiber-reinforced, that is) is so tough on bridges, not to mention its light-weight feature, why not use it to bridge teeth?

He paired up with a Maryland Dental School professor and both of them worked on the new dental bridge they have in mind. The result? A dental bridge that is 4 times tougher than the usual dental bridge. The materials that the two have used are the same materials that are being used in aerospace, automotive industries and the like. Truly a remarkable invention!

Photo taken from http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu

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

Florida Rep. Stan Jordan, R-Jacksonville, announced today that he has filed legislation backed by the Florida Dental Laboratory Association to implement more stringent regulations to protect
patients receiving the dental restorations affixed into the mouths of millions of Americans each year.

Dental-restoration products – the porcelain crowns, dentures and bridges that American dental patients have permanently seated in their mouths – are currently under-regulated, with few legal requirements for technicians to be certified and no mandates for dentists to document or disclose the source of dental work to patients, Jordan said Tuesday.

Although dentists prescribe the type of device they need for a dental patient, the product is actually manufactured by a dental technician employed by a dental laboratory, which could be located in the United States or anywhere in the world. Due to the growing number of Americans seeking dental restorative treatment and the growing pressure by some dentists to cut costs and increase profit margins, much of the dental work Americans carry in their mouths is now
imported from countries such as China, Pakistan, the Philippines and India.

As we all know, there are various types of dental restoration techniques utilized by the many dentists of today. But the thing here is, as much as possible, we wouldn’t want hard-earned money to be spent on some unnecessary expenses just because we weren’t careful about our oral hygiene. It is a fact that going to the doctor or dentist is expensive. To prevent unnecessary spendings, might as well stay “orally” healthy by eating a balanced diet, brushing your teeth regularly, avoiding smoking and seeing your dentist from time to time. If you have been faithful to these four little tasks, then congratulations! Keep living an orally healthy lifestyle.

Photo taken from http://www.tts-group.co.uk

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.

Here are the disadvantages of having Cerec restoration treatment:

Not all dentists are experts on Cerec technology, so make sure that the dentist who will perform your restoration for you is indeed a certified Cerec expert.

Cerec crowns come from a single ceramic block so it is a little common to find some difficulty in finding the most apt color gradients of natural teeth. So if you’re deciding to have Cerec restorations made on your front teeth, you might want to think again. Perhaps, opting for Cerec for back teeth is a little more relieving. This is unless your cosmetic dentist is highly skilled in creating natural-looking teeth.

Photo and article source: My New Smile

Folks from Florida, you’d better check this article out.

There will be a bit of stringency in keeping with the regulations that protect the millions of American dental patients who receive permanently seated restoration treatments (at least those who receive them in Florida for now). This is due to the legislation filed by Florida Rep. Stan Jordan, R-Jacksonville, and backed by the Florida Dental Laboratory Association.

Dental-restoration products – such as porcelain crowns, dentures and bridges will now be regulated by requiring “all dental laboratories to disclose to dentists where a product was manufactured and what materials were used, and provide certificates of authenticity.”

Dentists will also be required to include this information in the records and dental charts of patients in case of enquiries. This will also help health officials track and trace particular restorations to their source in case problems later emerge. The bill also requires dental laboratory technicians to maintain continuing education every two years.

SOURCE: Earthtimes

Cleft lip and/or palate (sometimes they ensue together, reason for the “and/or”), is a birth defect that is evident in 1 out of every 600 births. There are basically three types of cleft palates:

1. Incomplete cleft palate – wherein the hard palates of the inside of the mouth are separated;
2. Unilateral complete lip and palate – wherein the said separation reaches the nasal cavity (comes out of one nostril);
3. Bilateral complete lip and palate – wherein it is synonymous to number 2, but this time, the separation creates a “fork-like” division inside the mouth (comes out of the two nostrils).

Cleft palate is treated with the use of either a “palatal obturator”, a retainer-like apparatus (but no front wires) inserted in the person’s palate that will serve as a cover to the gap, or through surgery.

Photo taken from http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu

Another would be the veneer operation wherein the teeth will be bleached to its outmost potential by means of drilling. This kind of dental procedure however comes in the alternative form called Lumineer wherein drilling is not necessary. The Case Description as used by the American Dental Association refers to the outer and esthetic features of a mature dentition which are distinguishable in form. When the teeth wears down, it show significant impact in a person’s physique. The American Dental Association confronts this problem by using bonding and adhesive ceramic restorative procedures. These have a probable reversing after effect due to the esthetic symptoms of the aging tendencies of our teeth.

At-home teeth bleaching is a great option for those on a budget. Unfortunately, results cannot be seen after a single application. It can take from weeks to months before the final results can be achieved. This means that the dental patient must have the time and patience. He or she must also be capable of performing and adhering to the instructions. On the other hand, the results of professional teeth whitening are seen immediately after the procedure but are quite more expensive than at-home products. Professional whitening may be accomplished in one to three appointments.

Source: Associated Content