General and conservative dentistry

CONSERVATIVE DENTISTRY

CONSERVATIVE DENTISTRY focuses on preserving the teeth and gums.

PREVENTION

Dental care starts with the prevention of cavities and gingivitis — based on proper oral hygiene, appropriate alignment of the teeth (orthodontics), a balanced diet and healthy habits that preserve the life and aesthetics of natural teeth.

Regular check-ups with the dentist are also very important: any problem is detected at an early stage and is therefore much easier to treat (for example, in periodontics, identifying gum disease in time helps prevent premature tooth loss).

TOOTH DECAY (CARIES)

TOOTH DECAY is caused by bacteria in the mouth that turn sugar into acid. In a first stage, caries demineralises and destroys the enamel, then the dentine and finally the nerve. When pain appears, the nerve is already affected!

There are several factors that predispose to the formation of caries:

• Inadequate oral hygiene habits;
• Unbalanced diet;
• Teeth prone to decay due to their shape and position;
• Age: periods of high incidence between 4 and 10 years, and between 18 and 25 years.

If the cavity is not very deep, treatment is normally completely painless. In the case of a deep cavity, light anaesthesia can be given to avoid any discomfort.

It must be stressed that once a cavity appears, you should see the dentist immediately. Leaving it untreated only allows the cavity to grow and may reach the nerve, completely destroying the tooth and requiring a much more extensive, complex and costly treatment (from large reconstructions to crowns or even implants).

TREATMENTS

If a small cavity appears, a filling is needed. If the cavity is much deeper and affects the nerve of the tooth, a more complex procedure is required, called root canal treatment (endodontics).

If the tooth is severely damaged it needs a reconstruction or even a crown (fixed prosthesis). Depending on the material chosen for the crown, the colour and texture are also decided — this is where dental aesthetics comes in.

• Oral hygiene
• Filling

ORAL HYGIENE

Proper ORAL HYGIENE consists of careful daily cleaning with a toothbrush and toothpaste suited to your teeth, as often as necessary (as a rule: on waking, after main meals and before going to bed). Using dental floss or an oral irrigator is recommended to clean interdental spaces. Mouth rinses complete oral hygiene, eliminating most germs and helping to prevent cavities.

A professional cleaning once a year — or as recommended by your dentist — is also advised.

FILLING

After removing the decay, a FILLING is placed with a mouldable material that hardens once applied, rebuilding the tooth.

Another option is inlays made of gold, ceramic or composite, custom-made in the dental laboratory.

Fillings can be made of various materials and colours. Today, composite is usually used, both for its strength and, above all, because it matches the colour of the tooth.

In our clinic we do not use harmful materials such as silver amalgam (black fillings).