Dental restoration involves restoring damaged or decayed teeth to their normal structure and function. It’s a vital part of modern dentistry, as it can help improve the appearance and function of damaged teeth.
In recent years, dental restoration technology has come a long way since the early days of drilling and filling cavities. It has led to many innovative solutions for restoring teeth to their original form. This article will explore these latest innovations, so you can understand what’s available today.
Ceramic crowns are one of the most popular forms of dental restoration. They look natural and strengthen weakened enamel due to decay, trauma from injury, or accident damage. These crowns are mainly made up of ceramic material, which is strong enough to withstand biting forces on the back molars.
They’re also aesthetically pleasing when fitted on front teeth, allowing them to be colored and matched with surrounding healthy existing teeth. It gives your mouth a seamlessly blended effect.
Patients who have worn-down areas around their gums may also opt for porcelain fused metals (PFMs) instead. It’s where metal provides additional support along the sides of ceramic parts. It prevents further wear down into the gum line while maintaining the aesthetic appeal required by the patient.
This innovation is the perfect solution for replacing missing teeth with an implant bridge. It’s highly durable and secure, unlike traditional bridges that require at least two abutment teeth to be filed down. An all on 4 implant process only requires four titanium posts implanted into the jawbone. They’re surgically placed before a custom-made crown is attached atop them to create a natural-looking replacement.
It supports the entire arch without damaging any existing healthy tooth structure. The tooth also looks and functions like a real one without slipping or sliding. While this treatment does take longer to complete due to its complexity, the result provides the patient with the most realistic replacement option.
Tooth-colored fillings are a great alternative to traditional metal amalgam, visible when you smile. They use a composite resin material that can be color-matched with the existing tooth enamel. It makes it virtually unnoticeable once placed in your teeth.
Additionally, they bond easily and securely to the natural structure of teeth, compared to the more brittle metals previously used. It reduces the chances of further cavities or fractures in the treated areas.
Porcelain veneers are thin shells that fit over an existing damaged tooth like a cap. They provide aesthetic value and are strong enough to prevent further wear on the underlying layers. It allows patients to retain their smiles without undergoing extensive treatments such as crowns. In addition, porcelains come in various shades, so the patient’s desired shade choice will be achieved upon completion.
Clear aligner therapy (CAT), or invisible braces, has become increasingly prevalent. Unlike their metal counterparts, no embarrassing brackets or wires are involved during treatment. The procedure involves wearing clear plastic trays for two weeks to six months. However, this duration depends on the severity of the issue needing correction.
Each tray gently moves teeth into the desired position over time without discomfort or pain. It’s essential, however, that the patient remains compliant with wearing these trays as instructed to ensure a successful outcome. Otherwise, results may vary drastically.
Digital impression technology has made creating molds much faster and more precise through high-resolution imaging. The process involves scanning your mouth area using special cameras or intraoral scanners that mimic the shape of your smile.
There’s no need to take physical impressions of teeth and gums using potentially uncomfortable trays containing putty material. It all happens onscreen without physical contact with the patient’s mouth.
This technology allows dentists greater accuracy when creating prosthetic devices. It considers any subtle variations between individual patients, ensuring each fits perfectly. It ensures that each tooth is usually within the boundaries set by the natural tooth structure. There’s also no risk of gaps or excessive pressure due to a lack of support from neighboring structures.
Computer-aided design (CAD) systems have been combined with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems to create powerful tools. Many dentist offices use them to create customized solutions based on digital scans taken using the digital imaging technologies discussed. They can also be paired with chairside milling machines that fabricate restorations from a single block of material.
Dentists can design, fabricate, and place custom crowns or veneers faster and more precisely using these advanced systems. They also eliminate any guesswork involved during the fabrication process. The result? A guaranteed, perfectly crafted restoration.
3D printing technology is becoming common in many areas, such as manufacturing and healthcare. It’s attributed to its ability to create complex structures quickly with high accuracy levels at relatively low costs. It’s far better than traditional methods like casting techniques.
This technology for making customized crowns from digital models provides a much faster turnaround time. They also provide more aesthetically pleasing results since each can be independently designed instead of relying on premade templates.
With laser dentistry treatments, there’s no need for drilling or anesthesia. That’s because lasers are very precise at only targeting what needs treatment while avoiding healthy tissue. They emit focused light absorbed by the soft tissues it comes into contact with. This technology uses beams instead of manual tools to perform procedures such as:
Laser dentistry offers other advantages over traditional methods, including reduced pain or discomfort. Patients also experience minimal bleeding and faster healing times, reducing infection chances. These types of treatments don’t require multiple visits, either. Everything can be accomplished in one session, making it more convenient.
Resin infiltration therapy uses resin composites instead of silver amalgam fillings when treating cavities smaller than two millimeters wide. It also treats those found in hard-to-reach places, such as between teeth or near the gum line.
The advantage of this innovation is that it allows dentists to restore small cavities faster, with less drilling. It leads to a more aesthetically pleasing finish than traditional fillings. Further, resin infiltration often requires no anesthesia and provides immediate results.
It’s another cosmetic dental treatment used today to brighten patients’ smiles. It can be done at home using trays filled with special bleaching agents activated during prolonged exposure to UV light.
You can also use professional-grade office applications, which use more potent solutions that provide quicker results. Depending on how discolored the teeth are, various levels of strength may need to be applied to achieve the desired shade of brightness for patients.
Finally, thanks to technological advances, dental implants create more robust implant posts from materials like titanium alloys. These bond better with bone structure when compared to older stainless-steel models.
New materials also allow doctors to customize implants according to patient preferences. It means higher success rates and easier installation processes without additional surgery or recovery time afterward.
Summary
Modern dentistry has come a long way in the past few years. It’s now offering numerous innovations regarding restoring damaged teeth or replacing missing ones. There’s no shortage of cutting-edge options, from ceramic crowns to laser dentistry. Depending on what kind of treatment you might need, see your dentist for a personalized smile that maintains an attractive appearance.
