Restorative Dentistry
Dentistry is the application
of the science of placement, arrangement and function of teeth,
as well as their supporting bones and soft tissues. Unlike
other human tissue, the dental structures cannot repair themselves
hence requiring regular care to maintain their health and
vitality.
Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases
and accounts for almost half of all tooth extractions. Almost
80% of the population in developed countries have experienced
the problem. However, dental restoration (fillings) do not
last forever, hence 60% of restorative dentistry is done for
replacement of restorations. Restorative dentistry refers
to the restoration of natural teeth that have been damaged,
decayed or lost. Crowns and bridges are the major part of
restorative dentistry, along with the permanent implants.
Inlays, onlays, and veneers are also part of restorative dentistry
to some point. Patients are keeping their teeth later in life
so practitioners are looking for new restorative solution
that can increase the teeth’s life. Teeth that might have
been extracted in the past are now restored with the use of
crowns and bridges.
A crown is constructed to restore a damaged
tooth back to its original form and function and a bridge
is used to replace one or more teeth.
Crowns
The crowns are dental restorations known
as “caps” and are coverings that fit over teeth. They are
necessary because of broken old fillings, fractured and chipped
teeth and also in the case of sensitive teeth. The crowns
are also used to improve the appearance of natural teeth that
are discoloured, malpositioned or malformed. They also strengthen
and protect the remaining tooth structure, improving the appearance
of the teeth.
They are made of natural looking porcelain
and are designed to improve the overall smile and to blend
in with the rest of the teeth.
A patient should need a crown if they are
experiencing the following problems:
- A previously filled tooth has now more filling than tooth
so the structure weakens and cannot support the filling anymore
- Damage by decay
- Compromised esthetics and loss of colour
- Fractures
- Root canal
- Bridges
The crowns can be made from different materials,
such as: porcelain crown, porcelain fused-to-metal crown and
the all-metal crown.
Fitting the crown requires, generally, at
least two appointments. During the first appointment, the
tooth is prepared, a mold of the tooth is made and a temporary
crown is placed on the tooth. During the second appointment,
the temporary crown is removed and the final crown is fitted,
adjusted and cemented into place.
Bridges
If teeth are missing and there are teeth
on every side of the gap, a bridge is the ideal solution to
replace the missing teeth. The replacement teeth can be attached
to two crowns constructed for the two teeth on the sides of
the gap. The space left from the missing tooth may cause some
other problems like teeth drifting and changing the bite,
which can lead to sore jaws, gum disease or decay.
As the crowns, the bridges can be made of
porcelain, metal or a combination of those two. After you
are examined by the doctor, the teeth used to attach the bridge
are reshaped. During the time it takes to make the bridge,
a temporary acrylic bridge is cemented into place.
Veneers
They are used to fix the front teeth. Veneers
are used to whiten teeth, close spaces between teeth and create
a great smile.
The veneers are great for:
- Diastemas
- Chipped and broken teeth
- Stained and wash out fillings
- Stained and discolored teeth
- Crooked teeth
The porcelain veneers are the answer for
instant orthodontics like straightening the smile, closing
the spaces and reshaping the teeth. The veneers are always
thin and are bonded in front of the teeth. They are about
0.3 mm to 0.5 mm thickness but are very strong once bonded
to the teeth.
Also the veneers have several advantages
over the crowns: the absence of the “black line” sometimes
seen with older crowns, they have more natural look then crowns
and don’t require that much grinding as the crowns do.
Combined with other cosmetic dentistry, the
veneers really give the patient the perfect smile. However,
the veneers are not considered a reversible form of treatment.
Other Techniques
The partial denture refers to a removable
dental appliance that is used to replace multiple missing
teeth. The removable partial denture fills the space created
by missing teeth and usually consists of replacement teeth
attached to a gum-coloured plastic base that is connected
by metal framework. They attach to the natural teeth with
metal clasps or precision attachments.
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