Conservative Dentistry

"My tooth quite frequently hurts, actually a lot- please, just pull it out!"

"I'll bring the extraction forceps," what dentists have been saying not too long ago. Let's keep the tooth in as long as possible- that is today's reaction of conservative dentistry.

Conservative dentistry = the conservation of teeth in the mouth.

Pain Therapy

A toothache often indicates that something is wrong. The most common cause of a toothache is a dental cavity (caries). The depth of the caries usually determines the type and amount of pain. We test the vitality of the tooth by using a cold stimuli. Under examination the dentist can determine if a dental filling is enough or if root canal treatment should be performed.

Dental Fillings, Inlays

Conservative dentistry should be thankful for the advances in modern dental materials, such as composite fillings. Composite fillings are tooth-colored making them an esthetic choice. Inlays, are made in the dental laboratory from an impression of the area to be restored . Materials used include ceramic, gold, or composite. The prepared inlay is tried in carefully, then cemented into the prepared cavity and adjusted if needed. Gold inlays have an excellent closure where the tooth itself and the inlay meets. Composite fillings and inlays have an advantage to amalgam fillings.There is a chemical bond between the composite material and the prepared tooth structure opposed to amalgam fillings which require physical strength and large preparations for retention of the filling. With these esthetic fillings, they aren't even noticeable because they match perfectly to the tooth and can be easily polished.

Root Canal Treatment

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with disease of the tooth root, dental pulp and surrounding tissues. Everyday use of this term is also known as root canal treatment. With the use of special devices and instruments (x-ray, electronic apex locator) it helps to determine the location and length of the root canals. After the location of the root canals the infected pulp and decayed tissue is removed. A medicament is applied and then the tooth cavity is closed with a temporary filling. The final filling of the root canals can only occur if the tooth is free of complaint. Root canal treatment is sometimes the only way to save a patient's tooth. Our duty is to recover and preserve the own teeth of our patients.