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A dental seal is a material filling the tooth tissue, a permanent filling of a cavity that has arisen in the tooth as a result of caries and its dental treatment. Different types of fillings are used in dental offices; The materials used for their production have different strength and prices. A well-chosen and installed filling should enable chewing and chewing food, and should not differ in color from the other teeth.
In what cases are dental fillings used?
Seals It is used in those patients who have lost teeth due to caries or in the case of a small fragment of the tooth crown chipped. During dental caries treatment, the doctor disrupts the structure of the tooth with a drill and causes a cavity to appear in the tooth after cleaning the area affected by caries causing bacteria. Such a place should be properly secured so that no food remains can get into the exposed deeper layers of the tooth and that the tooth looks aesthetically pleasing. Exposed and damaged tooth tissues are very susceptible to temperature changes and the action of substances such as acids contained in juices, fruits and drinks, as well as to the action of bacteria. Filling established by a dentist is intended to protect the exposed tooth tissues against these factors. It also fulfills a cosmetic task – improving the appearance of a damaged tooth (well fitted seal should give the impression that the tooth has not been damaged).
Types of dental fillings
Different types are used in dental offices lead, i.e. fillings of cavities in teeth. They are available seals amalgam, composite light-cured and self-curing, seals porcelain and glass ionomer cements.
Seals amalgam is made of an alloy of metals and mercury. These are seals quite durable and cheap, but their disadvantage is dark gray color, clearly standing out from the rest of the teeth. For this reason seals amalgam is currently mainly used in molars where they are not visible. There is also a belief among some patients and medical staff that seals amalgam, due to the mercury they contain, has a negative effect on health. However, scientific research does not confirm this thesis.
Seals Composite have a color similar to the natural tooth color and consistency of plasticine, which allows them to be well matched to the tooth cavity. Next seal composite is cured with a curing lamp. The excess material applied to the cavity is ground and removed by the dentist, so that the shape and appearance of the tooth resemble a healthy tooth. In case of lead Composite chemosetting is mixed with the two components seals – liquid and powder – and puts the correct dose seals at the defect site. Under the influence of chemical reactions contained in the mass applied to the tooth seal hardens and fills the cavity permanently. Seals composite materials are currently used to fill both anterior and molar teeth.
Seals porcelain is used when the cavity is quite large. This kind seal It is characterized by high durability and allows to reproduce the shape of the tooth in an almost perfect way.
Seals glass ionomer cement is used in children to fill cavities in deciduous teeth. This kind seal adheres well to the tooth surface, and additionally contains fluoride, which has anti-caries properties. Its disadvantage is its gray color and it cannot be polished.
Sealing costs
The seal can be established in a private dentist’s office or at the National Health Fund. In the case of a visit to the National Health Fund, the fund covers the costs lead only in the front teeth – upper and lower. They are then used seals composite chemosetting. To fill the posterior teeth, use is made of seals amalgamatowe.
In a private office, they are usually put on seals composite light-cured or seals porcelain. The cost of treating one tooth ranges from 100 to 300 PLN.
Durability of seals
Filling it should be a permanent filling of the cavity and last for years, but sometimes it will fall out. This can happen when chewing gum or eating candy or chewing hard food, loss seals it can also be caused by a malocclusion, secondary caries, or loss through the seal its properties. In this case, you should see a dentist as soon as possible, who will install a new one the seal in the area of the defect, in order to protect the tooth against the effects of unfavorable factors and pathogenic bacteria.