Conservative dentistry and endodontics are the branch of dentistry which is concerned with the conservation of teeth in the mouth. It embraces the practice of operative dentistry and endodontics, and includes various kinds of direct and indirect restorations of individual teeth in the mouth.
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Treatment of caries can be done with
- Composite resin fillings (also called white fillings): a mixture of powdered glass and plastic resin, and can be made to resemble the appearance of the natural tooth.
- Glass Ionomer Cement (white): These fillings are a mixture of glass and an organic acid. Although they are tooth-colored, glass ionomers vary in translucency. Although glass ionomers can be used to achieve an aesthetic result, their aesthetic potential does not measure up to that provided by composite resins.
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Amalgam: it’s a metallic filling material. Amalgam does not adhere to tooth structure without the aid of cements or use of techniques which lock in the filling, using the same principles as a dovetail joint. Amalgam is still used extensively in many parts of the world because of its cost effectiveness, superior strength and longevity. However, the metallic colour is not aesthetically pleasing and tooth coloured alternatives are continually emerging with increasingly comparable properties
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Root canal treatment
- Under local anaesthetic, the cavity is accessed through the crown to the pulp chamber where the damaged or remaining tissue is carefully removed. The root canals are then cleaned and enlarged. Each canal is thoroughly rinsed to ensure an adequate disinfection and elimination of any debris. A definitive sealing of the root canal using cement and gutta-percha (the coagulated sap of certain tropical trees) can only be carried out following the complete disappearance of symptoms. The remaining part of the tooth will be rebuilt by a coronal filling.
- Root canal treatment is time consuming and due to that is expensive. But it’s important to understand that root canal treatment is the only way to conserve the tooth in the mouth.