Concept Dental

General Dental Treatments

General Fillings

• Trauma to front tooth
• Replacement amalgam filling
• Extensive Dental decay

Aesthetic Veneers

• Composite Veneers
• Porcelain Veneers

Ceramic Restorations (CEREC)

• CERECS

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General Fillings

Trauma to front tooth

A young fifteen-year-old girl fell during a netball game and fractured her front tooth. Clinically she was fortunate in that there was no obvious internal damage to her nerve or root. Because of her relatively young age simple direct placement composite was indicated.

Bonded composite resin restoration was placed, shaped and polished.

Generally this will last 6 to 8 years after which a bonded ceramic veneer can be placed for better aesthetics, strength and colour stability

Replacement amalgam filling

A 45 year-old lady was concerned over the sensitivity and appearance of her old amalgam fillings in the upper left premolar teeth and was seeking a relatively inexpensive solution.

Clinically the old amalgams had been in place for many years and were showing signs of extensive corrosion and leakage between filling and tooth structure. Clinically posterior composite resin fillings could be placed.

The second premolar had a bonded posterior composite resin restoration directly placed.

Generally these type of restorations can last 6-10 years and have much better aesthetics than amalgams, however they are more difficulty and time consuming to place and usually cost around 50% more than their metal alternatives. A more durable alternative would be Ceramic inlay/onlay.

Extensive Dental decay

A 60 year-old pensioner presented with extensive root decay and wear around the necks of his teeth.

He was a smoker, on a variety of medications and was concerned about the appearance of his teeth.

Preventive measures were introduced to reduce the decay risk factors and prevent reoccurrence of infection and the teeth were treated once again with direct placement composite restorations.

These type of direct placement fillings can last around 6-8 years and once the decay is removed require very little preparation of tooth structure as the rely primarily on bonding technique to retain them in place. The conservative nature of the procedure is very attractive and should they delaminate at some stage they can very easily be replaced with a minimum of tooth preparation.

Aesthetic Veneers

Composite Veneers

A young patient presented with malformed tooth with an unaesthetic diastema (gap)

Direct placement composite was placed using bonded technique to improve the appearance.

No local anaesthetic was required. This is a relatively simple, inexpensive non invasive procedure suitable for young unworn teeth. Although the composite material can be repaired it has a limited life span and tends to discolour and stain over time.

Porcelain Veneers

Patient presented with a significantly discoloured peg lateral incisor tooth. The most appropriate treatment for this situation was a ceramic veneer

Tooth was prepared, an impression taken and sent to Donath dental laboratory.

After tryins, modifications the veneer was cemented using bonded technique.

Patient presented with severe incisal staining, tapered shape to teeth with an unaesthetic gap.

Porcelain veneers were inserted to improve the appearance without the need for extensive crown work.

Patient had old unaesethetic veneers placed which were failing. He also suffered from an unusual disease of the enamel.

Six Cerec veneers were placed during two extensive sittings rehabilitating the enamel structure and appearance of the upper front teeth.

Ceramic Restorations

CERECS

Ceramic inlays, veneers and all-ceramic crowns are now able to be completed on-site in a single visit, with the remarkable technological advancement of CAD/CAM ( computer aided design and manufacture).

Patient presented with sensitivity on biting pressure to the upper molars. These teeth exhibited cracking and failed old amalgam fillings with weakened walls of teeth. After considering the options for treatment Cerec, (Ceramic Reconstruction), fillings were elected as the treatment of choice

The teeth were anaesthetised, isolated and prepared. With a special optical camera the teeth were scanned directly in the mouth and the images entered into a computer.

In the computer the new fillings were designed and the information sent to a milling machine.

A ceramic block is selected and placed in to a CAM milling machine and a high precision ceramic filling is milled out in approximately 10 minutes.

The Cerec is then cemented into place using a special bonding technique, adjusted and finished.

Advantages

• Ceramic block is an industrially manufactured high strength material
• Ceramic material is more closely matched to enamel than other dental materials
• Bonding the ceramic to tooth structure improves the structural durability of the tooth
• Reduces the risk of structural complications to teeth
• Aesthetic
• Procedure is carried out in one appointment
• Less invasive than crowning and less traumatic to the nerve of the tooth
• Smaller investment than crowning
• Proven long term durability

Disadvantages

• Time consuming
• Technique precise
• Three times the cost of conventional fillings, (although less than crownwork)
• Some limitations of application

For further information visit the Cerec website Cerec Online