How to eliminate tooth decay? The best option is to use modern filling materials. In dentistry for these purposes, different groups of excipients are used. The choice of a particular composition depends on many factors: its properties, safety for the organism, and cost. The following brief overview of the materials for dental treatment will help orient the patient.
Filling material is divided into the following types:
1. Silver amalgam. This material has actually lost its former popularity, it is morally obsolete, recently it is almost not used. It includes mercury, whose vapors are highly toxic. The wide application of silver amalgam in dentistry was due to a number of advantages: strength, durability, high antibacterial performance, low cost. Significant disadvantages: low adhesion, for resurfacing a seal, a repeated visit to the doctor is necessary, an unaesthetic appearance, the tooth tissue, toxicity, loose marginal fit may darken and chip.
2. Stomatological cements. Widely used about twenty years ago. The best filling material from this group, which is still used today, is glass ionomer cement. Composition: silicon, aluminum, fluorine. Mix with distilled water or polyacrylic acid( 50% solution).
Advantages:
- quickly hardens - within a few minutes;
- excretes fluorine, promotes the regeneration of tooth tissues - consists of a mixture of fluoroaluminosilicate and polyacrylic acid( this filling serves as prevention of caries recurrence, therefore glass ionomer cement is indispensable for the treatment of milk teeth);
- moisture resistance - can be used as an insulating pad that protects tooth tissues from destructive aggressive effects;
- harmless - does not irritate the pulp;
- high adhesion - is able to bind calcium with hard dental tissues.
3. Composite filling materials. Most in demand lately. The composite consists of an organic matrix( synthetic resin) and an inorganic filler( quartz powder).To treat chewing teeth, a material with larger quartz particles is used to provide the necessary strength for a long time.
Advantages of composites:
- abrasion resistance;
- safety for health;
- high strength;
- ease of use;
- ideal polishing;
- possibility of use for successful restoration of anterior teeth;
- high aesthetic properties - filling material allows maximum imitation of natural color, texture, transparency, i.e.gives the effect of dry gloss;
- wide assortment.
Possible complications:
- sensitivity - occurs when the treatment technique is violated, a large portion of the material is filled;
- rapid erasure, loss, if improperly matched filling material, also the composite can not be used to treat patients with increased erasability of tooth enamel;
- tooth decay, cleavage of its walls - do not use composite material to restore the crown of the tooth, destroyed by more than 50%.
Thus, the choice of a specific composition of the seal - cement, metal or polymer - better to trust the dentist. He will assess the condition of the teeth and suggest the best option for a particular patient.