Conservative Dental Medicine
WHAT IS CONSERVATIVE DENTISTRY?
Conservative dentistry is a field in dentistry that includes the treatment of teeth damaged by caries or trauma. Treatment with conservative therapy includes the treatment of caries, root canals, fillings and the like on an individual tooth in the oral cavity. Root canal treatment (endodontics) is now solved in one visit to the dentist, with the help of RVG technology (radiovisiography, digital dental X-ray).
WHAT ARE ALL THE METHODS THAT ARE AVAILABLE
Amalgam fillings are a thing of the past today. Many shades of composite allow the dentist to shape the missing part of the tooth in a morphologically and aesthetically perfect way.
Our experts fight to save each of your teeth, and this is where conservative dental medicine comes to the fore. Namely, tooth extraction often seems to be a simpler and cheaper solution than endodontics in the case of inflamed or necrotized dental pulp (“nerve” of the tooth). And yet this is not true, because ultimately the extracted tooth is replaced with an implant or bridge.
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What are all the areas covered by conservative dentistry?
Conservative dentistry includes various methods of direct and indirect restoration and is related to the preservation of each tooth in the oral cavity.
This branch of dentistry therefore implies the restoration of the original tooth, functionally and aesthetically, which includes:
– production of dental fillings (fillings, new and replacement),
– root canal treatment (endodontics),
– crowns and bridges (prosthetics),
– making inlays and onlays and the like.
What is endodontics?
Endodontics (devitalization) deals with the treatment of the root canal of the tooth – the removal of the dental nerve. To put it simply, this procedure “numbs” the tooth.
Due to tooth decay or tooth decay, bacteria open the way to the root canal of the tooth. There, they cause inflammation that can spread to the surrounding tissue or bone. In this case, it is very important to visit the dentist immediately and start root canal treatment therapy to avoid more serious complications.
After endodontic treatment of the tooth, there is often a large lack of dental tissue that needs to be compensated, without causing a fracture. Today, this is done with composite posts, reinforced with glass fibres that are installed in the tooth canal. The advantage of such a technique is that they are closer to a natural tooth in terms of elasticity and aesthetics than metal abutments used in the past, they provide a better load on the “deadened” tooth and thus extend its life.
Is endodontics better than tooth extraction?
If the dental pulp (nerve) is inflamed or necrotized, it must be removed from the tooth canal to prevent deterioration of the surrounding tissue and therefore tooth loss. Often, on radiological images, inflammatory processes in the bone around such a tooth (abscess, granuloma or cyst) can be seen. With special instruments and chemical agents, the tooth canal is treated and disinfected and hermetically filled with gutta-percha sticks. After the end of endodontic therapy, the tooth crown is replaced with a filling, inlay or crown, depending on the degree of its damage.
Although tooth extraction seems to be a simpler and cheaper solution, it is ultimately more expensive because the lost tooth is replaced with an implant or bridge. Therefore, it is always better, if possible, to save the tooth with endodontic treatment.
How is dental caries treated?
Caries is a degenerative disease of the hard tissue of the tooth that forms on its surface and continues all the way to the pulp. Treatment of caries is a type of therapy in which we first remove the damaged tissue, and then the tooth is restored by filling its cavity.
With today’s technology, regardless of the type of caries (superficial or deep), fillings can usually be done in just one visit to the dentist. However, if the caries has reached the nerve of the tooth (pulp), it is no longer possible to cure the tooth and it is necessary to remove the nerve.
What are dental fillings?
Caries is a chronic disease of hard dental tissues that progresses progressively and ultimately destroys the teeth. It most often begins on the surface of the tooth, with the breakdown of enamel (demineralization) and penetrates the depth and width, affecting other structures of dental tissue. That is why it is necessary to remove caries, and reconstruct the tooth in its original shape, colour and dimension.
Tooth reconstruction is the filling of a cavity (hole) in the tooth that remains after the removal of caries. Given that the tooth is filled, we say that a filling has been made.
The most durable dental filling is ceramic; It is very resistant, long-lasting, but also the most aesthetically acceptable because it is barely visible. The use of special materials and the development of modern methods enable the restoration of teeth that correspond in shape and colour to the previous healthy tooth, while maintaining quality and longevity.
