Dear Doctor Magazine - Issue 3 - (Page 36)
consUlTaTions in cosmeTic & ResToRaTive DenTisTRy Repairing Chipped Teeth A composite restoration or “bonding” is an ideal material choice for a growing 16-year-old A Consultation with Dr. Jeff J. Brucia Dear Doctor, My 16 year old son recently chipped his two front teeth when he went over the handle bars of his mountain bike. our dentist fixed them by “bonding” some filling material to them. She said they might not last forever, but they look great – can you tell me more about them? Y Dear Joan, chanically through microscopic “undercuts” (or locks) in our dentist placed “composite resin” restorations on the natural tooth substance that allow the tooth enamel your son’s teeth to replace the missing tooth structure. and composite resin to function and These tooth-colored fillings are a look like one piece. Direct composite Composites can be made in mixture (a “composite”) of a plasticmaterials have superior advantages a wide range of tooth colors based matrix with inorganic glass filler. to traditional materials like amalgam allowing for near perfect A “coupling” or joining agent is used (silver filling): improved appearance, color matching with existing to enhance the bond between the two a more conservative preparation and teeth – in artistic hands they components. The glass filler gives the greater use of the existing tooth to can be made to look very composite resin wear resistance and support the restoration. natural and lifelike. translucency for both strength and esthetics. The ratio of plastic matrix to Composites can be made in a wide range of tooth colors glass filler in the composite resins can vary depending on allowing for near perfect color matching with existing teeth the circumstance it’s to be used for; biting areas will require – in artistic hands they can be made to look very natural and more filler for strength, esthetic areas less. And, there are lifelike. Composites can be placed quite quickly and easily, multiple types and brands. and are relatively inexpensive. They require very little tooth preparation (drilling) of the healthy tooth structure since Composite resins can be bonded to most healthy tooth they can be bonded directly to the tooth. structure. They are joined or bonded to the teeth me- 36 Dear Doc tor w w w. D e a r D o c to r . c o m
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.