- Overview: This
is what most dentists are known for - the typical drill and fill.
Basically, a tooth has a "cavity" or decay on any of the 5
surfaces (I'll post about this again, but just a refresher, mesial/distal,
occlusal, buccal (or facial)/lingual), and the dentist needs to remove it,
and fill it with something else! Some dentists will use a diagnodent,
which is a lasery thing that detects the enamel lesion in the tooth by
bouncing back a certain wavelength of light is to see if it's really a
cavity. Usually, the dentist will use an explorer to see if the poky side
sticks to any tooth surfaces (this can indicate a cavity) and an x-ray
will be taken to confirm it. The dentist will remove the decay using a
highspeed handpiece, use etch/bond to prep the tooth surface, add
composite material, shape/polish it, and then check the occlusion using
articulating paper.
- Note: Most
dentists don't use amalgam fillings because they contain mercury, and
because they're not aesthetically pleasing. This is usually only used if
the cavity is in a hard to reach area and it's hard to get a dry work
space.
- Instruments: high
and slow speed handpiece, burrs, carries finder, composite material
(flowable and packable with composite gun and correct shades cartridges),
bond, etch, curing light, mirror
& explorer, topical anesthetic, needle, syringe, anesthetic, cotton
rolls/gauze, articulating paper, articulating paper holder, floss
- Depending on the tooth surface that needs to be
filled: tofflemeyer, matrix band
system (interproximal fillings), wedges
- You: This
is where it gets a little more hands-on, and a little more interactive,
and a lot more fun! :) I'll lay out the steps:
1.
Dentist drills with a
highspeed and you follow with high volume suction/saliva ejector. Sometimes
they'll use carries finder, which is a colored solution that indicates where
there is still decay on the tooth.
2.
Once the tooth is
prepped, your dentist will etch the tooth (use an acidic mixture that makes the
tooth surface coarse and able to hold composite material) and wash it away
(make sure you suction it out!).
3.
Once etched, you give
them bond (or if they don't use etch, give them primer/bond) on a microbrush,
which you later cure for 10 seconds with the curing light!
4.
Then, hand your dentist
the flowable composite (that's the liquidy one) and cure for 10s.
5.
Hand your dentist the
packable composite (the solid one that comes in a cartridge). They'll move it
around and shape it like a tooth. If there is excess composite material, which
there usually is, hold out a piece of gauze so they can wipe off their
condenser/instrument.
6.
Cure, 20s this
time.
7.
Suction as they shape
the filling more with a high speed.
8.
Hand them the
articulating paper on a holder. The paper will reveal place where the contacts
are high with marks.
9.
Repeat step 7
10.
Hand them a piece of
floss so they can check the interproximal surfaces. And you're done!
No comments:
Post a Comment