Silver Amalgam has
been used in dentistry for more than 100 years, and many had come
to accept it as an inevitable filling material for any decayed
tooth. But that began to change when it was shown that a
resin-based material could be chemically bonded onto the tooth
surface. This immediately opened up a new horizon and required a
change in the mind-set of patients and dentists. The main
disadvantages of silver - unnecessary cutting of healthy tooth
structure to retain the material and it's ugly appearance -
suddenly disappeared when resin was used as the filling material.
Bonding is a fairly recent technique used in
cosmetic dentistry. In this process the tooth in question is
first treated with some chemicals and then resin is moulded onto
the tooth surface. This chemical joining of the resin-based composite
material and the tooth surface is called as bonding.
Composite
resins have been used
in dentistry for a long time, but the recent version of the
material uses an ultra-violet visible light source to complete
the curing process. This gives the dentist a lot of freedom to
shape the material before the resin hardens on exposure to light.
Composite
resin bonding can be used to:-
Build-up
lost tooth structure due to fractures, cracks, erosion,
decay, etc.
Mask
stained teeth which cannot be treated by bleaching.
As a
filling material.
Smile
design - as a veneering material to reshape teeth.
The advantages of
bonding are that the dentist can now stop using metals in the
mouth, which had their own problems like extra cutting of healthy
tooth structure to suit the material properties and an ugly
appearance. The treatment is generally painless as very minimal
reduction of the tooth is required; only decay and any dark
stains need to be removed. The results are immediately visible at
the end of the appointment. Composite resins are available in a
wide range of shades and opacities, and it is possible to achieve
a fairly close match to the existing tooth - so much so that it
is sometimes difficult to make out that a filling exists.
Usually one or two
visits are required, the first used to bond the material onto the
tooth and the second for touch-up and polishing.
In order to keep the bonded
restorations looking their best, you should visit your dentist
at-least twice a year to check if professional cleaning is
required. The reason for such frequent cleanings may be to remove
food stains that tend to accumulate in the micro-cracks on the
bonded surfaces of the teeth, generally at the junction of the
resin and the tooth.. The average life expectancy of a bonded
surface is three to eight years. The degree of your personal care
in avoiding certain foods and following proper home care
instructions is directly proportional to the life of the bonded
restoration.
