Restorative

At Richmond Fine Dentistry we believe in using quality dental materials and keeping in tune with the latest dental techniques and philosophies.

Like painting, surface preparation is paramount and we spend time meticulously preparing the tooth for the restoration. Similarly the finish is important and we ensure the filling is well contoured, polished and you are able to floss effectively.

We offer a full range of tooth coloured restorations:

• Fissure sealants
• Glass ionomer restorations particularly useful as sub-fillings and in high decay situations.
• Bonded composite fillings and veneers.
• Cerec- computer aided design and manufacture of strong ceramic inlays and crowns. These can amazingly be completed in just one appointment!
• Implant retained crowns.
• Crowns and bridges.

Tooth Decay

Dental caries, or dental decay, is a common disease, which causes cavities and discoloration of both permanent and deciduous or “baby” teeth. As the disease progresses in a tooth it becomes weaker and its nerve may be damaged.

Dental decay occurs when bacteria in the mouth make acid which then dissolves the tooth. Bacteria only produce this acid when they are exposed to sugar. If you have a sensible diet, a good flow of saliva, a cleaning routine and your teeth get an appropriate fluoride exposure, you are less likely to get decay.

You can prevent decay by:

• Reducing amount and frequency of consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
• Brushing and flossing your teeth thoroughly to reduce the amount of bacteria on their surfaces.
• Using fluoride toothpaste. This will make the surfaces of teeth more resistant to acid. The fluoride in our water supply strengthens the developing teeth of infants and children.

Saliva is the best natural defence against decay. The acid from bacteria can be neutralised by saliva. A reduced flow of saliva (*dry mouth) can increase your risk of decay.

Causes of Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)

• Medications that you may be taking that may have a drying effect in the mouth.
• Excessive intake of caffeine. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate and cola drinks. It draws fluid from the body and reduces saliva.
• Working in a dry environment and not rehydrating often enough.
• Some specific diseases or conditions such as Sjogren's syndrome.
  *If you have a constant dry mouth, you should consult your dentist to find the cause.

In the mouth, there is a constant demineralisation (strengthening minerals like calcium and fluoride being dissolved by acids) and remineralisation (strengthening minerals being re-deposited on the teeth from saliva). If your demineralisation is happening at a greater rate than remineralisation, you get loss of tooth substance.

If your mouth is acidic a good deal of the day from, say, excessive and constant intake of acidic soft drinks or constant sugar intake, then the demineralisation wins and you have problems.

If you are careful with the diet, then your saliva is more neutral and you will get good remineralisation to constantly repair the teeth.

Early dental caries is reversible. Minerals can be deposited back onto the tooth surface if you can modify your diet and oral hygiene. We can treat early areas of caries with topical fluoride, and if you are careful with your diet and cleaning no other treatment may be required.

A more advanced area of dental caries will require a "filling" or restoration. We will remove the damaged and infected soft tooth structure and repair the tooth. It is important to have this done as early as possible to preserve the strength of the tooth and prevent bacteria damaging the tooth pulp.

It is very important to listen to your dentist’s advice on how to eliminate the cause of your caries. Don’t think that just fixing a cavity will stop the disease from occurring in other areas of the mouth.

Other ways you may help prevent dental caries with your diet are:

• Rinse your mouth with water after having sugary food or drink
• Have a small amount of cheese after sugary food or drink. This will help to neutralize the acid produced by oral bacteria.
• Using sugarless chewing gum may help protect your teeth by stimulating extra saliva. Saliva is very important in protecting your teeth from decay.
• Do not put any sugar or other sweeteners in baby’s bottles.
• Remember the drying effect of excess caffeine.
• Remember that smoking changes the saliva to a more harmful consistency.

CEREC

Ceramic technology can be used to create highly aesthetic inlays, onlays, veneers and crowns. Once the prepared tooth has been scanned with a camera, the dentist designs the crown or inlay on the computer. Subsequently, a milling machine cuts the restoration from an industrially prefabricated ceramic block and your dentist will directly insert the crown in your mouth.

Why CEREC?

• Protects and preserves your own tooth’s structural integrity
• Ceramics are biocompatible
• Only one appointment required
• Perfect looks
• Perfect comfort
• Perfect quality
• Long lasting and durable
• Unquestionably the most cost effective restoration we have available today

Ceramics meet the highest aesthetic expectations and are biocompatible. Ceramics do not cause any allergic or undesired reactions, such as possible discolorations of the mucus membranes or change in taste. Therefore, they are called biocompatible. Ceramic restorations do not have metal core. Therefore, light can shine through the restorations as it does in natural teeth. In addition, the adjoining gum will show no dark metal edges when this technology is used crowning teeth. Ceramic material is colour-fast and wear resistant. In addition the low heat conduction protects the dental nerve, which is very sensitive to temperature changes.

Composite resin fillings (white)

These are white or tooth coloured fillings which are made of a plastic material mixed with small glass particles and can be used on all teeth.

Advantages are:

• They are more aesthetically pleasing
• Composite filled teeth tend to be stronger as it bonds to the surrounding tooth structure
• Treatment can be more conservative as the material can fit into very small holes
• Composite insulates the tooth from major temperature changes that may affect the nerve

Disadvantages are:

• The placement technique is more advanced therefore the procedure can take slightly longer
• They are usually more expensive
• They can wear out quicker than amalgam in larger cavities
• The tooth filled with composite may be sensitive for a time after the procedure
• Some food and drinks can stain composite fillings

Bonding

Bonding is useful for improving small irregularities but is less successful than veneers in the treatment of some problems. The tooth is prepared by etching the surface with a gel.

The surface is then painted with a bonding liquid that sets firmly when a special light is shone on it. A putty like resin is molded onto the tooth and shaped. The light is again used to harden it. The set resin is then trimmed and polished.

Advantages are:

• Bonding is a good alternative for small blemishes
• Tooth preparation is not normally required
• Only one visit required
• Excellent colour match can be made
• Bonding may be a less expensive option than veneers in selected cases
• Bonding can be used as a conservative, temporary measure if more extensive treatment is planned for a later stage

Disadvantages are:

• As bonding material is made of a bonded resin, it is not as strong as veneers and is more prone to chipping or breaking but is easily repaired
• Bonding may need regular touch-up work in some cases

Amalgams

Traditional amalgam silver fillings have been successfully used in dental restorations for over 150 years.

There are however, several disadvantages with the placement of an amalgam filling; the most obvious of course is its silver/grey colour, which can detract from your overall smile. It is also possible that the amalgam can cause the tooth to discolour and develop a grey shade.

Amalgam fillings also require a more substantial amount of natural tooth structure to be removed during preparation than a white filling. Unlike white composite fillings, amalgam due to their metal content, are more prone to expand and contract with temperature changes from consuming hot and cold foods and drinks and lead to cracked tooth syndrome.

At Richmond Fine Dentistry we are obsessive about mercury hygiene, when we remove amalgam we use:

• Rubber dam and high volume suction to remove safely all waste products.
• Continuous water spray to eliminate mercury vapors.
• Low volume suction to eliminate vapors when amalgams are placed.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to amalgam fillings, please do not hesitate to discuss them with your Richmond Fine Dentistry dentist at your appointment by ringing 9429 0011.

Micro-air abrasion

Micro-dentistry adopts the philosophy of early detection of tooth decay and minimal treatment procedures so as to preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible, of which micro-air-abrasion plays an integral role.

Micro-air abrasion is a modern technique that uses a fine stream of air-and powder mix to treat mild tooth decay more accurately and with less removal of healthy natural tooth enamel than conventional drilling. It is a gentle, quiet and painless technique that for most cases does not require you to have a local anaesthetic injection.

A tooth prepared using micro-air-abrasion requires a much smaller filling than a drilled tooth, thereby making the final restoration stronger and longer lasting. Once prepared, your tooth is restored using highly durable tooth coloured composite resin making your filled tooth indistinguishable from your natural teeth, so you are able to retain your beautiful, natural looking smile.

Children benefit from the application of micro-air-abrasion. Early detection of tooth decay is especially important in children, as early childhood tooth loss can cause a range of long-term dental health complications. Because micro-air-abrasion is gentle and quiet, children are much more relaxed during their appointment and often unaware of what is being done, as no part of the equipment touches their tooth.

Children’s teeth are also restored using tooth coloured composite resin so they can keep their happy, beautiful smile for many years.

If you would like to know how micro-dentistry and micro-air-abrasion will benefit you and your family, call and make an appointment by ringing 9429 0011.