This message from David Rice DDS in Elgin looks at one of the miracles of modern dentistry: the dental restoration.
Let’s pretend you are a biomedical engineer working in the field of dentistry before the conception of dental restorations. The men and women of your generation who have missing or damaged teeth want to repair or replace them with a man-made substitute. You have been hired to find or create a material that can be used to construct fillings, crowns, and dental bridges.
Consider the physical and chemical requirements of this incredible material. It must tolerate forces of 162 pounds per square inch (PSI), hundreds of times a day–day after day, year after year. It must be resistant to cracking and chipping. But there’s a catch regarding its stability; it must not hurt the enamel on opposing teeth. This material must also maintain its size and shape and be resistant to shrinking.
It must be bondable to living tooth structure as well as other materials needed for specific appliances. It must be biocompatible with the soft tissues in the mouth as well as tooth enamel, dentin, and bone. It can’t create allergic reactions in the wearers. It must be corrosion-resistant to the chemicals in saliva, foods, and beverages. It must resist infection regardless of ever-present bacteria in the mouth. And it can’t contain toxic chemicals that could be absorbed into the bloodstream.
And we haven’t even considered the esthetics yet. Ideally, this amazing material would be indistinguishable from actual teeth in color, opacity, and translucence.
Of course, we know that such an entity exists because dental restorations have been around for a long time. At this time, there are several materials used alone or in combination including porcelain, ceramic, and metals such as gold and silver amalgam. Though the metals are immensely strong and malleable, they don’t meet some patient’s esthetic requirements and are used mainly for back teeth.
It is interesting to note that porcelain, one of the ideal materials used in modern restorations, was invented over 2000 years ago in China.
At David Rice DDS in Elgin services include general and family dentistry, and restorative dentistry. Patients from Bartlet, South Elgin, and Wayne come to us for outstanding dental care. Call for an appointment today!
Contact David A. Rice, DDS:
847-741-2353
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1972 Larkin Ave Ste 1
Elgin, Illinois
60123