Dentists Albania Conservative Dentistry Dental caries, prevention and conservative therapy
Conservative dentistry deals with treating lesions affecting the enamel and dentin of the teeth with the aim of restoring the normal function and aesthetics of the latter.
Tooth decay is a degenerative disease of the hard tissues of the tooth - the enamel and dentin. Its cause is infectious: the infection begins on the surface of the tooth and then proceeds inwards until it reaches the dental pulp, causing pain and inflammation .
Dental caries, what are the symptoms and risks, prevention and therapy
Dental caries - what are the determining factors?
Bacteria
Sugars
Genetic predisposing factors
Age
Dental caries - what are the symptoms?
Sensitivity to sweet
Pain (pulpitis), typical of deep caries
The treatment of dental caries involves the removal of the infected tissue and its replacement with suitable material. In case the pulp involvement is advanced, it will be necessary to remove the damaged tissue and replace it ( endodontics ).
The general conditions that increase the risk of caries are:
Alterations in salivary flow. Saliva fights tooth decay by buffering the acidity of the mouth, and has both a microbicidal and immune function.
Disharmonious dental arch (crooked teeth), which facilitates the formation of cariogenic plaque making it difficult to remove.
Bad eating habits, i.e. frequent snacking or excessive consumption of sweet foods increase the risk of tooth decay.
Simple and sticky sugars are the most cariogenic. The high frequency of sugar intake maintains an acidic mouth pH, and demineralization is continuous.
To prevent this, it is necessary to brush the teeth preferably half an hour after each meal, as in the first minutes after food intake the high level of acidity in the mouth predisposes to superficial demineralization.
The latter, combined with brushing, can over time cause chemical erosion.
The therapy of choice for symptomatic and / or cavitated caries consists in the removal of the carious tissue through the use of mechanical or manual tools, and in the filling of the residual cavity with materials other than the unsightly silver amalgam to the more aesthetic materials such as the composite, the glass ionomer cements, the inlays in gold or ceramic, depending on the aesthetic and functional needs.
The treatment and prevention of dental caries
For the prevention of caries it is essential to undergo professional oral hygiene sessions at least twice a year: it is therefore necessary to go to your dentist, who can make use of the collaboration of a dental hygienist.
It will then be equally important to dedicate oneself to careful daily home oral hygiene , with the help of tools such as toothpaste, brush and dental floss.
Remember that fluoride has the ability to remineralize dental enamel, block the metabolic pathways of the bacteria responsible for caries and reduce bacterial adhesiveness on tooth surfaces.
Molar sealing , a useful primary caries prevention practice is the sealing of the furrows of the first molars in 7-8 year old children.
After the necessary occlusal checks, he places a fluorine varnish on the resin which intensifies the release of the substance.
It is also possible to seal the furrows and dimples of the final molars, using very fluid resins that are fixed on the tooth by etching and polymerization.
In recent years, silver amalgams have been almost abandoned (which required retentive preparation, therefore extensive) in favor of composites.
The composite consists of:
Resinous matrix
Inorganic filler
Silane coupling agent
Activator
The resin matrix is the chemically active component of the composite. It initially occurs in the form of a fluid monomer and is then converted into a rigid polymer (polymerization). The matrix is the continuous phase to which the other components are added.
After application, the light-cured composites are illuminated with a light of a particular wavelength in order to merge the monomers into polymers. This process is made possible by a molecule that acts as a photo-activator.
Composites are generally materials that must be kept away from saliva and humidity, in fact in conservative dentistry the rubber dam is commonly used to obtain the isolation of the operating field.
The dam is a thin rubber sheet on which holes are made, through which the teeth to be treated are inserted. The sheet is stabilized by one or more hooks and possibly by ligatures composed of dental floss. Outside the oral cavity, the dam is supported by a metal or plastic arch that keeps it taut.