Fillings and Restorative dentistry
Filling therapy is an essential part of tooth preservation. Tooth fillings are necessary for carious teeth and an important precaution for further complex treatments.
Dental fillings are used to restore a tooth that has been damaged by tooth decay (caries). A tooth filling seals your tooth to prevent bacteria from entering and protects the tooth from further possible tooth decay.
The type of filling that is best for your needs will depend on a number of factors, such as where in the mouth the filling is needed and the amount of repair required. These factors are discussed before treatment and the right restorative material is selected.
Undetected or untreated caries often leads to infection of the root of the tooth. Cracked of broken teeth can also lead to an infection of the root as well as old fillings that may be leaking. When bacteria are able to penetrate into the tooth interior, they cause an irreversible inflammation of the tooth nerve. This causes tremendous pain that can not be relieved by painkillers or antibiotics alone. Furthermore, an untreated tooth it will cause swelling and abscesses.
Root canal treatments
Symptoms of a tooth that may need to undergo
a root canal treatment are often:
- Severe pain when chewing or biting
- Persistent sensitivity to heat or cold
- A broken or cracked tooth
- Swollen or dark discolouration of the gums
- A pimple / yellow discharge on the gums
If you experience these symptoms, you should seek urgent treatment immediately. Often the inflammation has already progressed so deeply into the jawbone, that root canal treatment is just a last attempt to save the tooth.
Depending on the degree of inflammation, root canal treatment is performed in one to three sessions. The inflamed tissue is removed using sterile disposable instruments and the tooth is cleaned using several disinfecting rinses and anti-inflammatory drugs are applied. Using x-ray technology and a state-of-the-art electrometric length measuring device, we can determine the exact length of the root canal and this way allow for the perfect preparation and treatment of the tooth. Root canal treatment requires high precision and perfect knowledge of tooth anatomy, so accurate assessment of the prognosis of the tooth prior to therapy is one of the most important components of the treatment.
