Tooth colored filling materials or composite resin can be very versatile and they can be used to create long lasting restorations . Here are demonstrated some of the treatments I have used them for.
1. Replacing tooth matter lost to decay or hypomineralized. After bacteria break down the tooth, there is a need to clean the bacteria out resulting in a large cavity. Or if tooth matter is missing or badly formed there is need to replace the tooth matter lost, restore the shape and to allow for function. As shown on the right, once the decay was removed, the cavity was sealed to restore the tooth its original shape.
2. Restore broken down teeth. The big advantage of tooth colored materials is the ability to bond to tooth structure and add to it. This property is important when teeth are fractured in a traumatic incident or due to decay undermining the enamel. The Images on the right demonstrate how a fractured tooth that was made whole to restore a beautiful smile.
3. Build up teeth after root canal treatment. Teeth that require a root canal treatment a frequently severely weakened. Once the root canal treatment is completed. The tooth can be restored with tooth colored materials reinforced by glass fibers. These restorations have been shown to last many years in a recently published study.
4. Veneering teeth to change the smile appearance. Tooth colored materials can be used to alter the shape, length, appearance and color of teeth. Shown on the right are two examples: the first where a worn down dentition has been transformed to a beautiful smile with composite veneers. The second is where gaps created by a gum disease were sealed with veneers.
5. Closing gaps between teeth. At times there can be discrepancies between the sizes of teeth or gaps remain following an orthodontic treatment. These gaps can be filled, by changing the shape of teeth with composite. Shown on the right is the smile of a young woman, where by changing the shape of teeth a disturbing gap was closed.
6. Replacing missing teeth. Due to the improvements with nano technology I can created teeth to replace the natural tooth that had to be removed. This can be a fast solution for an aesthetic problem, a temporary replacement while an implant is healing or a permanent solution for a missing tooth. A woman who needed to replace a missing tooth that was showing when she smiles has chosen to have it replaced with an immediate composite replacement. She loved the outcome.