Restorative dentistry

METAL FREE FILLINGS

Tooth coloured fillings are used to restore your tooth where decay has weakened the structure of your tooth. We make use of the latest in composite/resin materials in order to restore your teeth and keep it functional and natural looking.

What are the Advantages of Composite Resin Fillings?

They look more aesthetically pleasing since they match your natural tooth colour
They require less drilling compared to amalgam fillings as they don’t require as much removal of tooth structure
They harden in seconds because they go through a light curing stage compared with other material that can take days to harden
They chemically bond to the tooth directly. This gives greater strength, which helps prevent fractures and breaks.
They can easily be repaired if damaged by just adding on to the damaged area
They are metal free and consist of made from a mixture of plastic and fine glass particles, with the most widely used compound being resin-based.

CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK

If you have a weak tooth or are missing one or more teeth, you may need a crown or a bridge.

Crown procedure

On your first visit, local anaesthesia is given to your tooth and the gum tissue around it. Then, the tooth, on which the crown will be placed, is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. The amount of tooth that needs to be filed depends on the type of crown. ,. A temporary crown is made during this visit to protect the tooth until the final restoration is ready. The final crown takes +- 1 week to be ready.

A bridge is used to literally bridge the gap between teeth. It consists of two or more crowns which are connected to each other and cemented on the teeth on both sides of the gap. These teeth are called the anchoring teeth as they form the anchors for the bridge and the crowns hanging in the middle are called pontics. A Dental bridges can either be supported by natural teeth or implants.

ONLAYS AND INLAYS

Inlays and onlays are used in molars or premolars, when the tooth has experienced too much damage to support a basic filling, but not so much damage that a crown is necessary. The difference between them is the amount and part of the tooth that they cover. An inlay will incorporate the occlusal/chewing surface of the tooth between the cusps where an onlay will include one or more cusps (thus including the cusp in the restoration).

SAFE AMALGAM REMOVAL

What is an amalgam filling?

Dental amalgam is an alloy of metals consisting of approximately 50 % liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered combination of silver, tin, and copper.

What is mercury?

Mercury is a liquid chemical element which is highly toxic in its natural form. It was previously believed to be safe when used as part of a filling but with new information there is a lot of controversy surrounding this subject.

Small amounts of mercury vapour have been found to be released from these fillings as we chew and bite on them. These amounts are very minute and the world health Organization feel that it is below threshold as not to cause harm to patient. We believe that it is better to not use any toxic material and make use of composite and ceramic materials.

How do we remove these fillings?

At Bergvliet dental we try and provide a safe way to remove the fillings by making use of rubber dam, providing an oxygen supply to the patient, covering both the patient and staff with protective wear and using a high volume suction device in the patients’ mouth. This is to prevent any excess mercury vapour from being ingested.

We also try to section the mercury, causing less vapour and used special mercury catching filters in our evacuation systems.

The procedure is normally done in 2 to 4 stages by either doing a quadrant at a time or alternatively one half of the mouth at a visit. (This procedure can also be done under sedation)

The process makes use of supplements beforehand, during and after treatment as well as some guidance for detoxification.

ROOT CANAL THERAPY

“Root canal” is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the centre of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal that contains the nerves.

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form

A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory — to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth. After root canal treatment an aesthetic filling will be used to fill the cavity caused by the decay and return your tooth to its most natural looking state.