Fillings vs. Inlays

The Future of Dental Fillings is Now

Greetings To All of You!

So many changes, so little time!!    As you are aware much is changing in our dental family.  As we plan the big move to our new state-of-the-art facilty, we are excited to keep you up to date on the advancements we are making to services and technology.  Our Pro Solutions team has always embraced technology and digital dentistry is opening new doors to better more convenient treatments including routine fillings.

An interesting fact you may be unaware of is that all dental materials including white dental fillings are moisture sensitive and require a dry environment.  Go Figure!  We have spent years developing techniques to control the many variables the human mouth presents that can ultimately affect the success of the fillings we place.  Lips, tongues, spit and the amount of time a filling takes to install are all an enemy to every dentist as we work so hard to place predictable long-lasting fillings each and every time.

Well thanks to CAD CAM or “digital dentistry” we now have great solutions that are easier for patients to receive and more predictable for dentists to place.  Imagine a filling that can be manufactured outside of your mouth and then cemented in seconds into your mouth.  That means no fighting lips, tongues and saliva for the dentist and a more comfortable dental experience for the patient, as the time you have to hold your mouth open is greatly reduced.  It is as simple scanning the tooth that has been prepared for the filling, designing it on computer software and then milling it in our industrial restoration mill. Then viola!  The filling is created while you take a minute to relax your jaw and catch up on an email.

Many of our patients have experienced this process with our same day crown treatment.  Now our new digital workflows allow us to do the same thing for routine fillings.  This means: More precise, better fitting fillings with less risk of sensitivity after the fact and longer lasting restorations.  Longer lasting restorations means fewer life episodes of sitting in dental chairs.  We think that is a huge advantage for our patients.

The advancement of digital techniques in dentistry translates to using high technology lasers in cameras to capture images of the teeth and gums. Computer Aided Design, or CAD camera technology, proves advantageous given the accuracy of digital technology, ultimately reducing the potential for treatments down the road.

Traditional composite fillings require installation directly in the mouth, also known as direct filings. Due to the nature of this treatment process, the longer an in-mouth process takes the more variables that need managing. Variables such as moisture or blood contamination can create other issues such as difficulty bonding to the tooth’s surface, presence of gaps, or air bubbles.

Utilizing digitally fabricated, milled materials reduces the chances of distortion and inaccuracy, allowing more predictability reducing the in-mouth variables.  The capability to expand and enlarge the digital models will also allow for improved detail and a more accurate fit of the restoration.

Now, you may ask what this all means. Reduced time for patients to keep their mouth continuously open resulting in less muscle soreness and jaw issues after treatment is the most noticeable benefit to patients. With increased accuracy, greater predictability, stronger materials, and a longer lifespan in general.  The end result is less invasive to the teeth.

We hope you are excited for this advancement in treatment options as we are to share them! Please inquire about this improved filling technology and our Cerec Primescan scanner mill and printer technology, at your next visit.