Ask the Dental Experts

Sunday, March 14, 2010

White Fillings

Silver amalgam was once the mainstay material for tooth fillings. It was used for over a century to fill cavities and to restore parts of the teeth that had been destroyed by decay. It was especially used in back teeth, where the coloration of silver-mercury was less noticeable. The drawback to this material, however, is obvious. If you have to have a tooth in the front filled, its appearance is clearly going to be diminished. White fillings, on the other hand, look identical to the surrounding tooth matter and are much better for your teeth as well.

You see, amalgam, by its very nature, can cause damage to your tooth in the long run. This is because amalgam fillings absorb moisture. They also expand and contract with temperature changes. As an amalgam filling ages, it can actually crack a tooth. At that point, you will have to have the tooth crowned to save it.

White fillings do not expand or contract like this, and they are also moisture resistant.

Silver fillings can also deteriorate due to a process called metal fatigue. This causes them to corrode and to leak over time. The protective seal of the filling gets broken and new decay forms beneath it. This leakage will also make the entire tooth begin to look gray as time goes by.

White fillings made of composite materials are a much better alternative.
Dental science has now evolved to a point that tooth-colored materials can be created that are durable, long-lasting, and cosmetically appealing. New materials such as porcelain and composite resin can give you an attractive, natural look and at the same time restore strength and durability to your tooth.

Both porcelain and composite resin white fillings are directly bonded directly to your tooth. This restores it to nearly 100 percent of its original strength and functionality. Both porcelain and white fillings can be custom-colored to precisely match your teeth. Only trained dentists can see the difference between these cosmetic tooth restorations and the real thing.

The improvement that white fillings make in your smile is invaluable. You no longer have to be self-conscious about how you come across when people see your teeth.

White restorations also preserve more natural tooth matter.
This is because healthy tooth structure must be removed just so an amalgam filling can fit. When a tooth is restored with composite resin, however, we only have to remove the decay itself. The resin easily bonds to the tooth without any of its natural surface area needing to be removed.

By bonding white fillings directly to your tooth, we also help add strength to your tooth.

So if you are seeking for an attractive and effective option for restoring one or more decayed teeth, be certain to ask us about the latest choices in white restorative materials.

Labels: composite bonding resin, white fillings

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Placing a Porcelain Inlay

A porcelain inlay is an indirect filling that is used to repair a decayed portion of a tooth or the hole left in a tooth after a silver-mercury amalgam filling has failed. In some respects, it works much like a tooth filling because it fits within the cusp of a tooth to replace either a lost filling or fill a cavity caused by decay. However, a porcelain inlay is very different from a standard filling. Not only is it made from an entirely different material, but the process used to make it similar to the process of making a dental crown. Porcelain inlays are made in a laboratory to match the shape and size of the tooth. They restore the cosmetic appearance of teeth, and they strengthen teeth by restoring the original surface area that was lost to damage or decay.

We at the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston do not recommend the use of silver-mercury amalgam fillings. However, we do often fill teeth with composite resin through a process known as dental bonding. Dental bonding, however, requires a certain minimal tooth mass in order to be performed. When decay or tooth fracture has destroyed the majority of the tooth surface, placing a porcelain inlay can restore the appearance and function of the tooth so it does not have to be extracted. For people who cannot afford dental implants at this time, placing porcelain inlays provides a viable alternative to tooth replacement.

Manufacturing porcelain inlays is very similar to manufacturing dental crowns. It will take two appointments to make the inlays and place them. During the first visit, the dentist begins by cleaning up the affected tooth or teeth to prepare them for the placement of inlays. The dentist first numbs the area around the teeth to make the procedure painless. If the problem is old fillings, he or she will first extract what remains of the filling from the interior of the tooth. A rubber dam may be used to prevent debris from falling into your mouth. Any decayed areas are also removed, and the remaining healthy portion of the tooth is reshaped.

The dentist will then make impressions of your teeth in order to create a working model of your natural bite. These impressions are very important and must be meticulously taken in order to create an accurate model. A dentist may place a small string between your teeth and gums in order to push the gums gently away from tooth surfaces. Once the impressions are made, the dentist will place temporary inlays in your mouth while the porcelain inlays are being made. It will take approximately one to two weeks for the laboratory to manufacture your new inlays. When they are ready, the dentist will call you back, remove the temporaries, and place the permanent inlays in your teeth. The dentist will check the bite with colored tape to see where your teeth are coming together, and he or she will also floss between the teeth to make certain there are no tight spots.

If your teeth pass inspection, the dentist will permanently place your porcelain inlays by cementing them in place. Inlays can last anywhere from 10 to 30 years and have proven themselves to be one of the most effective cosmetic tooth restoration procedures we can economically provide to our patients.

Labels: composite bonding resin, cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental procedures, cosmetic tooth procedures

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Cosmetic Dental Bonding

What is cosmetic dental bonding?
It is a simple and painless procedure used to repair chipped, cracked, or irregularly shaped teeth. It has also been successfully used for patients with severely stained teeth that normal teeth whitening procedures have proven ineffective to correct. It is cheaper and less complicated than porcelain veneers, and often produces results that are equivalent in quality.

Who should consider cosmetic dental bonding?
On an objective level, anyone whose teeth have cracked, chipped, or been worn through Bruxism. If you have been in a minor accident that has knocked your teeth slightly out of alignment, this procedure may also prove an effective alternative to braces.

On a subjective level, anyone who is not one hundred percent satisfied with his or her smile can request cosmetic dental bonding on the sheer virtue of aesthetics alone.

What are some of the benefits of cosmetic dental bonding?
The first and most noticeable effect is that the teeth appear more uniform. Cosmetic dental bonding helps fill the gaps between irregularly shaped teeth and help them all look more even and proportional in relationship to one another. Another benefit you can expect from this procedure is that it covers up old amalgam fillings without having to remove the fillings and healthy tooth material to refill them.

Finally, the sheer cosmetic value of dental bonding cannot be emphasized enough. The bonding resin can be sculpted in such as way as to give you a smile that looks proportional and natural to your face and mouth. It is the ultimate confidence builder for people with a shy smile.

Does the procedure hurt?
Absolutely not. Cosmetic dental bonding is perhaps the most painless procedure ever performed in a dental chair. Its sheer simplicity negates the possibility of pain. The dentist first applies an alkaline solution to the surface of the teeth. This solution etches microscopic lines that act as adhesive surfaces to the bonding agent. Then, the dentist matches the color of your teeth to the composite resin that is actually used for the dental bond itself. Once the color match is made, the dentist applies the dental bonding resin to your teeth, and then sculpts it until the desired shapes and surfaces are achieved. He or she then hardens the resin with a laser or ultraviolet light. The hardened resin is polished, then hardened one final time.

How many layers of resin does cosmetic dental bonding require?
That depends on the degree of damage to the teeth and whether or not the color of the resin is actually intended to whiten severely stained teeth. It is normal for most patients to need several layers, so do not be concerned if the dentist recommends this for you.

How many office visits am I looking at?
Almost always, cosmetic dental bonding treatment takes only one office visit. If, however, you have suffered from severe tooth damage or gum recession due to periodontal disease, we may need to set up two appointments. The first appointment will be used to create a porcelain mold of your teeth. We will let this harden, and then call you back for a second appointment to use this mold as to apply the dental bonding resin. The stain resistant nature of porcelain, combined with its very hard surface, makes it an excellent surface to which the composite resin will effectively attach itself. This is only in extreme cases, however.

Is this an expensive treatment?
No. It costs much less than veneers and crowns. Call the Cosmetic Dentistry Center today at 888.790.0309 for more information, or to schedule a visit.

Labels: composite bonding resin, cosmetic dental bonding, dental bonding, teeth whitening