Archive for the ‘prostethics’ Category

Dental crown – dark edges

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 3 - 2009

You may have a very pretty dental crown (not in these pictures), but the dark edge is a dead give-away that this tooth is not your own.

Not only is this annoying, but nowadays it is not even necessary. So what causes these edges?

dunkler_kronenrandFirst we need to find out whether this discoloration is caused by the tooth, or the crown!

Sometimes it is the root which is discolored and shows black through the gums.

A purely ceramic crown will not do the trick in this case!
Black, discolored roots result from poor root treatment. If bacteria remain in the root canal after treatment, and if blood flows into the root canal during treatment, then the iron contained in the blood’s pigment (haemoglobin) turns into black haemosiderine.

schlechte_wurzelbehandlungThis does not necessarily result in a dark edge, but if you happen to have gums that are very thin and soft, then the dark root may show through. The picture on the left shows this. Crowns will not help to cover this up, only renewed treatment followed by internal bleaching.

What is easier to fix is if only the edge of the crown is discolored. If the tooth was cut wrong, and a metal-ceramic crown applied, then the edge of the crown may end in metal. In this case the old crown needs to be removed, and the tooth stump prepared for a new – this time purely ceramic – crown.

More on the topic of dental crowns here!

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The importance of side teeth

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 19 - 2009

Many people have missing side teeth. Most are not really bothered by this: what matters is that the front teeth  –  the window display – are in good condition!

This is a big mistake, since the side teeth are very important, they protect the jaw and the front teeth from excessive strain …

Missing side teeth can lead to headaches, jaw pain and even back pain due to overloading and overuse.

masseter_rot

Here you can see a cross-section of a jaw with a complete set of teeth, and the  masseter, one of many chewing muscles. The masseter is highlighted in red.

masseter_kauebene-150x150When this muscle contracts, the lower jaw in pressed against the upper jaw. The teeth touch at the occlusion surface and the lower jaw comes to a stop because of the side teeth.
There is a definite gap between the jaw link head and socket.

masseter_kauebene

By providing support, the side teeth protect the jaw from excessive chewing pressure. This mechanism is further reinforced as the side teeth touch before the front teeth do. The lower jaw rotates away from the joint, and the side teeth act as a hypomochlion (=angle point) and protect the jaw.

masseter_zahnlosIf the side teeth are missing, or the occlusion surface is decreased because of uneven teeth, then the masseter pushes the lower jaw more towards the base of the cranium, and the joint gap disappears. The jaw is overstrained, which in time can lead to slight pain or even necessitate operations on the jaw.

It is therefore crucial to replace teeth, not only front teeth for aesthetic purposes, but also side teeth! Replacing side teeth keeps you healthy. Moreover, front teeth tend to be overused if there are not enough side teeth, which makes bone recede and eventually leads to loss of front teeth! –

A partial denture can be used to replace side teeth, implants are not always necessary – the main thing is that you can chew on the side!

Source: 2009_Side teeth

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Loose tooth crowns cause inflammation of the gums!

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 16 - 2009

Inflammation of the gums!

The gums recede and easily start bleeding during brushing. This is often due to loose dental crowns.

zahnfleisch_geht_zurueckThere are various different methods to prepare a tooth for a crown.

The easiest and quickest method is the tangent cut (first picture). In the upper right corner you can see the sanding edges outlined in yellow. The problem with this cutting method is that the edges of the crown taper off to a very thin edge. The ceramic part can break off (red arrow).

To prevent this from happening, the dental technician leaves more space at the edge of the crown (second picture), leading to unsightly bulges at the edges (blue circles). To hide these edges from the patient, the tooth is cut so that the edges end up under the gums.

Click to see a video on tangent cuts!

All this leads to bleeding gums, and gums which inflame easily – sometimes a gum pocket may develop, and a gum fistula. In the third picture you can clearly see a livid edge to the upper right incisor (red arrow). This develops due to the tangent cut of the crown, when bits of food accumulate around the protruding edge, they provide a good breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn cause inflammation of the gums. This then causes the gums to recede.

Healthy gums do not bleed!

On the left in the picture you can see the pale pink gums hugging the tooth tightly (green arrow). This is what healthy gums look like: if a concave cut is made into the tooth – known as a groove cut (fourth picture), then nothing sticks out, since the dental technician has enough space for the ceramic part.

Bits of food cannot get stuck, since nothing sticks out beyond the edge of the tooth – so there is no risk of inflammation! Check your gums after getting a crown, if they are red and start bleeding easily, then there is something wrong with the crown!

Find out more about dental crowns here!

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Dental ceramic crowns scientifically approved

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 15 - 2009

Ceramic materials finally win out in dentistry!

amalgam-keramikWhy do so many dentists continue to recommend the use of metals in dentistry? The answer is simple.
Metallic materials can be cemented, a very common procedure in dentists’ offices. Ceramics, on the other hand, have to be glued  – a procedure known as bonding.
Compared to cementing, glueing is a very tedious process, thus many dentists ignore manufacturers’ instructions  and so, for example, only rarely use a coffer dam. Some also try to shorten the glueing procedure e.g. by simply omitting certain glue components.

Sloppy work has given ceramics a bad name, even though they have been used in dentistry for about 20 years now.

Veneers, ceramic inlays and ceramic crowns are scientifically acknowledged methods of treatment – but it is important to use them wisely!

Ask your dentist if he or she regularly works with ceramics, otherwise you might be better off with a gold inlay!

Source: 2009_ keramik-indiziert (ceramics indicated)

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A better smile with veneers. What are the costs?

Posted by Dental News Team On August - 27 - 2009

Porcelain veneers and their costs are a hot topic on the web!

  • What is so special about porcelain veneers?
  • How much do veneers cost?
  • What are veneers and how are they different from lumineers?
  • Should you get your teeth bleached – whitened – before this?

veneersA veneer is an ultra-thin, translucent ceramic plate for the teeth – similar to a contact lens. Veneers, or their thinner variant lumineers, are glued onto the surface of the teeth – especially the front teeth – using a special paste.

Veneers can be used to correct minor dental displacements, gaps, undesired colors or discolorations. Veneers provide the visible surface of the teeth with an improved look, and the color can be individually adapted using this procedure.

This all begins with a planning phase – known as a wax-up, followed by bleaching for really extreme discolorations. During preparation either none of the enamel or only a very thin layer (0,3-1,0mm) is removed.

After preparation, an imprint is taken, and temporary plastic veneers are applied. After one week, the temporary veneers are removed and the porcelain veneers which have been prepared by a dental technician are inserted.

The costs of veneers / lumineers range between 600€ – 1500€ /a piece.

In modern dentistry, it is possible to correct teeth using minimally invasive techniques.
It is hardly ever necessary to grind crowns – but such aesthetically demanding work require a very highly coordinated team.


Here you can see a short film on this topic!

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