This post shows how we can restore a very damaged tooth with a simple, direct fibre reinforced composite filling that can be placed in a single visit and can last for years.
Like so many teeth this tooth was filled from a young age with an amalgam filling which is still the commonest filling material used in the UK today. I am by no means an “amalgam hater” as it is still the quickest, cheapest way that we have of filling a hole in a tooth but it is also a material that stores up problems for us later on. Amalgam fillings are immensely strong but they offer none of this strength to the tooth. Instead, they transmit all of the chewing force through into the tooth and cause it to flex and crack around it. At first, these cracks are very small so the filling and the tooth can appear to be trouble free for years, but eventually the little cracks start to join up and form big cracks, which eventually lead to the tooth splitting or breaking apart like this one.
Often we will treat a damaged tooth like this with a cast metal or ceramic crown but sometimes this may not be the best choice or, at least, not the best choice right now. There is no doubt that cast crowns can offer the best long-term service of any restoration that we provide in dentistry but they require additional removal of sound tooth tissue, take two visits to complete and involve the use of a dental technician to make them so inevitably cost more than a direct filling.
Fibre reinforced composite fillings offer great strength and aesthetics coupled with an ability to flex and move with the tooth under chewing load so reducing the stresses that lead to fractured teeth. They are not expected to last as long as a crown but if they can put off the need for a crown for, say, 10 years then they have provided the patient with a great service and prolonged the life of the tooth for many more years to come. At StoneRock Dental Care we are happy to provide fibre reinforced composites or cast crowns, overlays, onlays, inlays or veneers; whichever is the right restoration for you and your tooth.
If you are worried about broken teeth and would like to know if they can be restored like this then please do not hesitate to contact our Reception Team on 01580 752202 and we will be happy to help. If you want to know more about fibre reinforced composites, however, then please click on the link below.
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