Caries is a process of tooth structure destruction by bacteria. The process begins with the erosion of minerals on the tooth surface, and ends not just with internal cavities formation, but also with the regeneration into more serious disease, such as pulpitis, for example.
Do not assume that all faults lays on bacteria: they are just processed carbohydrates, which we ourselves giving them in excessive amounts. To cope with the capacity, microbes multiply actively and working in emergency mode, producing a maximum of organic acids, the high concentrations of which detriment our teeth.
However, to avoid caries it is not enough to reduce a consumption of sugar-containing products, but it is also necessary to adjust the structure of nutrition in general - to increase the intake of protein, vitamins, fluoride, and mineral salts. On tooth health also our heredity influences greatly, as well condition of our tooth-jaw system in the process of its formation and development, and during the teeth eruption process.
Caries starts with the formation of white or dark spot – in this moment the patient feel no discomfort. If the disease is detected at the stage of its demineralization, the dentist wouldn't need to use a tooth drill-machine with a special solution, which reducing the required amount of minerals.
The next stage - is a surface one and it is expressed with the enamel surface roughness. At this stage pain starts to appear, but it is still a kind of short-term and is a reaction onto thermal and mechanical stimuli. The next following stage is an average caries when cavities starting to form. The whole process finishing with deep tooth decay process; at this stage touching the sick tooth causes severe pain. If the disease wouldn't be still treaded, it can easily turn into pulpitis – the process when the infection reaches the inner tooth tissues. Pulpitis is well known with its acute pain.
Starting from the stage of surface caries, it is already impossible to do anything without tooth drill-machine usage. Now the treatment is consist of damaged tissues and infection remove, purified space disinfection, weakened tissues strengthening, and all necessary conditions for the best adhesion of filling material and tooth tissue preparation. This operation lies in the process of filling material parameters adjustment and procedure of tooth filling itself which are carried out for comfort and aesthetic effect obtaining.
Tooth inlay can be made of cement, amalgam (an alloy of metal and mercury), composite, compomer or ormocer.
Composite filling materials are ideal for front teeth sealing and are quite capable to replace amalgam (an alloy of metal and mercury) on chewing teeth. Initially, composites were used only for front teeth filling, because of their unreliability. But today, however, the material became more durable and sturdy. Composite materials are used for small areas on the back teeth sealing: cavities, defects of hard tissue development, old amalgam fillings replacement, chips.
The advantage of composite materials is that with their help it is possible to recreate the tooth appearance so that it will not differ from other teeth in tooth row. The ability of tooth strengthening, highlighting the fluorine in the polymerization process, is also very important stuff. The composite seal is attached onto the tooth tissues due to adhesive fixation, which helps to reduce tooth facing area. At this point the amalgam filling loses.
However, the composite filling materials have their own disadvantages and, first of all, this is about their cost. In addition, they are less stable compared to amalgam fillings in a large defects sealing process.
Composite filling materials are more difficult to use and they require great knowledge and skills from a dentist. Although it is difficult to say how much such a feature can be considered as disadvantage. Time passes, and dentistry also stands still not. Every dentist, as well as any other doctor, must know how to work with new techniques for which our future is.
Depending on mechanism of polymerization (curing), compomer materials can be divided into two groups: light-curing and chemical.
The process of light-cured compomer filling materials usage is as follows: a doctor sculpting a seal and its shape. When he is satisfied with his creation, he cures the filling with the help of special lamp which emits a light of a certain range. Chemically cured materials start polymerization process in the very beginning of the stage of their components mixing (activator and catalyst). The doctor should catch a time to form a seal before it hardens.
The service life of composite fillings is about 7-10 years.
