Caries treatment

Caries treatment is one of the most common requests in dentistry. This is both a solution to the existing problem and prevention of more serious diseases of the teeth and gums. Nowadays this procedure is much more comfortable for patients than 15-20 years ago. Why is this so? We offer to talk about modern features of caries treatment.

Anesthesia

Previously, lidocaine was used for pain relief, which often caused allergic reactions. To avoid risks, the manipulation was often performed without anesthesia, which could be stressful for the patient. Modern anesthetics, such as articaine, are much safer.

Rubber dam

This is an isolation system that was not used in the past. Its advantages are undeniable: saliva does not enter the cavity where the treatment is performed, and such fillings then serve for a longer time. Also, no instrument used by the doctor can get into the respiratory tract.

Aesthetics

Previously, the fillings were flat, but now the doctor is able to reproduce the anatomy of the tooth, which improves chewing function in the future. Also, the doctor’s arsenal could have only 3 colors, and now for high-quality restoration sometimes up to 10 shades are used for one tooth.

New generation materials

In modern dentistry, photopolymer fillings are widely used; they harden in 5 seconds. Previously, these were chemically hardened fillings, so the patient had to wait up to 10 minutes for it to harden.

Adhesive systems

Now a layer of fixing material is laid between the tooth’s own tissues and the filling. This reduces the sensitivity of the tooth after the treatment. Previously, the filling was fixed directly on the tooth by mechanical adhesion.

Summing up, it is worth noting that the general level of dental services has become higher. Dental units have changed (they cool the tooth, have a saliva extractor). Of course, all these factors make caries treatment more comfortable for patients and prolong the functionality of the restoration.