Modern methods of filling teeth

Dentists recommend performing dental treatment at a time when caries still looks like a white spot on tooth enamel. In this case, the patient may be able to avoid the filling procedure.

Treatment of caries at more advanced stages requires the preparation of the affected cavity and its further filling. As a rule, doctors clean the carious cavity down to the dentin cavity. In this article, we will tell you in detail about modern methods of filling teeth.

If the patient has an average degree of neglect of caries, then doctors prepare the tooth with an insulating pad (it is used to avoid infection of the soft tissues of the tooth). After that, the dentist performs a filling.

When filling caries in an advanced stage, the doctor makes an anesthetic injection, since the soft tissues of the tooth contain nerve fibers. If the dentist, in the process of preparing for a filling, suspects an infection in the tissues of the tooth, then, as a rule, he installs temporary fillings. After 1-2 weeks, the patient should again come to him for an appointment. In the absence of pain or any discomfort in the area of ​​the temporary filling, the dentist fills with a permanent filling.

Filling technique

Before filling a tooth, the doctor must carefully prepare it (perform preparation). Tooth preparation consists in the removal of affected tissues using a special machine - a bur. In this case, the dentist, as a rule, expands the carious cavity.

Then the doctor carefully dries the prepared cavity and applies a special developer to its surface, which, if the patient has tissues affected by caries, will change color.

After that, the dentist prepares the filling material, which is subsequently placed in the prepared cavity and seated using dental instruments.

After the filling material has hardened, the dentist polishes it. This is very important to create a melting bite. At the end of the procedure, the filling is polished and finished. Due to this, plaque does not linger on it, and bacteria accumulate less.

In some cases, one or more walls of the tooth are missing for filling. In this case, the dentist may resort to additional methods of fixing filling materials.

In this case, the filling material is introduced into the tooth cavity not all at once, but in small portions and at the same time it is carefully compacted.

Thus, the patient will be able to fully restore the anatomical structure of the tooth with the help of dental materials.

Materials for filling teeth

At the moment, there is a huge amount of filling materials. They can be temporary or permanent, lining or for filling root canals.

Typically, temporary filling materials are used when a permanent filling cannot be done immediately. Most often they are used if the doctor has applied a drug to the cavity prepared for filling. That is, a temporary filling acts as a bandage that protects the medicine from being washed away by saliva.

Gasket fillings are medical and are used, as a rule, for the treatment of deep caries. To seal caries in an advanced stage, the dentist uses special cements, pastes and pins made of silver or durable plastic.

Materials for permanent filling

The most commonly used permanent fillings are durable plastics, cement, hard mercury alloys with various materials, pure composite materials, and composite materials in combination with cement.

So cement for making fillings has the form of a powder, which contains zinc oxide (makes the material sticky), (responsible for a shiny surface), aluminum (thanks to it, the filling becomes strong), calcium (strengthens the natural tissues of the tooth) and magnesium (gives the material plastic). To prepare a filling, all these materials are diluted with a special liquid. However, these seals have significant drawbacks. So, they are quite difficult to dissolve and, despite zinc oxide, have a weak adhesion. However, they are notable for their low price, due to which they are still used by dentists.

Composites or composite materials . This is the most modern material for the manufacture of permanent fillings. They are made of tiny particles suspended in a matrix that binds them together.

Such filling materials are divided into 3 types:

• macrophiles - materials consisting of rather large particles. They have high strength, but they lack sufficient adhesion;
• microfiles are materials that contain small particles. They stick well to the prepared tooth surface and polish well, but they do not have the necessary strength;
• hybrids - they contain a combination of small and large solid particles. Such materials are used for all types of dental restorations.

In addition, filling materials are also divided according to the nature of hardening. So, there are materials that harden when interacting with chemicals or when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

Filling materials made of plastic are characterized by high strength and adhesion. Among their advantages, one can also note a wide selection of shades. However, they, like any other materials, have their drawbacks. So they have a negative effect on the soft tissues of the tooth, have a large shrinkage and change color when worn for a long time.

Another type of filling material is amalgam . It was one of the first to be used by dentists for the restoration of dental tissues. Amalgam is created by fusing metals (usually tin, silver or copper) with mercury. It is one of the strongest and most reliable filling materials. Due to its strength, this material is also used by modern dentists.

Today, dentists have invented another type of filling materials - compomers . They include hybrid composite materials, as well as various types of cements. They are characterized by high strength and at the same time have good adhesion. In addition, they are completely biologically compatible with the natural tissues of the tooth. Thanks to such fillings, the tooth will be able to independently accumulate fluoride in itself and, accordingly, becomes stronger. At the moment it is the best option when choosing a filling material .

Regardless of what material is used to make the filling, dentists always use the same liquid - the standard one.

When the first signs of caries appear, you should not delay a visit to the doctor. Thanks to modern technology, the patient can not worry about the occurrence of pain during the procedure. All this, fortunately, is a thing of the past.

Installing a filling takes very little time, and thanks to a huge selection of filling materials, each patient will be able to choose the one that best suits him in terms of strength, appearance and other characteristics.