Re: caries question
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Re: caries question
| Steven Fawks | 29 Jun 2005 13:52 |
> The most important thing to keep in mind is when to place [or I should say > "if to place"] the first filling. We don't have any filling material that [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > larger, and the tooth gets more irritated by the drilling/filling. > Eventually, a crown is needed, and sometimes root canal treatment as well. I have been using sealants and PRR's to some degree for many years. I don't have 20 year studies, but I do have 26 years of anecdotal observation. I think the early intervention with very small restorations to eradicate the caries will save a lot of tooth structure over time.
I believe this idea was more true of the days with GV Black preps and amalgam use than with todays techniques. Even with the medium sized Class I amalgams, the 5 year replacement theory does not often turn into reality. I do see a lot of 40-60 yr.-olds who need a few crowns. Most of these were not due to an intitial occlusal amalgam. They may have had occlusal decay treated with an amalgam in 1964, but new areas of decay led to an MO, then an MOD, and then cusps began to fracture. It is rarely continued replacement of one filling that leads to a crown.
Fawks
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| Jacob | 29 Jun 2005 04:33 |
One important thing is your age -- in other words, how long these caries have been present. If you are middle aged or older, and these have been this way for years, then the best thing to do is keep an eye on them; they are not very likely to get worse.
Caries risk analysis is important. I have seen radiographs of caries that did not progress over a 15 year period. Just because there is a "hole" in the tooth, it is NOT necessarily appropriate to restore the tooth. There is a constant remineralization process from the minerals in your saliva, and caries can acutally "heal" under the right circumstances.
The most important thing to keep in mind is when to place [or I should say "if to place"] the first filling. We don't have any filling material that duplicates natural tooth structure, and once the initial filling is placed, the usual scenario is that the filling breaks down and needs to be replaced in 5 or 10 years. Each time the filling is replaced, the "hole" gets a bit larger, and the tooth gets more irritated by the drilling/filling. Eventually, a crown is needed, and sometimes root canal treatment as well.
In my opinion, there are many, many cases where the best thing to do is watch and see what happens. As long as you go to the dentist regularly, there is virtually no risk for problems by just watching. You may find that by watching, the caries stays the same over time, and you will not need any filling.
> I've got a question regarding caries that is being formed on few of my > teeth. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Thanks. |
| viktor011@gmail.com | 28 Jun 2005 01:03 |
I've got a question regarding caries that is being formed on few of my teeth.
In fact they are very very small dots.
Is there any other solution than filing (if i spelled right)?
Are there any tooth pastes, any medicaments, drugs, scrubs?
Please answer on my email: viktor011@gmail.com
Thanks.
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