When you think about a visit to your dentist in Orpington, what usually comes to mind? For many, it's the anxiety-inducing whir of the drill? it doesn’t have to be this way! The field has progressed significantly over the years, with one of the significant advancements being composite fillings.
Composite fillings, also known as tooth-coloured fillings, represent a substantial leap in dental technology. They're created from a mixture of glass or quartz filler that is designed to mimic the appearance of natural teeth. As someone who has dealt with a fair share of cavities, the discovery of composite fillings felt like a breath of fresh air. For the first time, I could have my teeth repaired without the tell-tale silver glint of amalgam fillings betraying the state of my oral health.
Composite fillings and uv curing: a process demystified
As you may have guessed, the application of composite fillings is not as simple as slapping some tooth-coloured substance into a cavity and calling it a day. It involves an intriguing process centred around ultraviolet (UV) light, a concept that initially left me scratching my head.
It's quite fascinating how UV light is used in this procedure. The composite resin material is photosensitive, meaning it hardens when exposed to a certain light spectrum. During the filling procedure, after the dental team places the soft, pliable composite into the cavity, they use a UV curing light to harden the material. This UV light, blue in colour, accelerates the hardening process of the composite filling within seconds, making it firm and secure.
The UV light triggers a chemical reaction within the composite resin, causing it to polymerise and solidify. This method allows dental teams to work with the composite filling while it's still in a malleable state, shaping and moulding it to fit your tooth perfectly before hardening it for a durable, lasting finish.
Glass ionomer: the other player in the dental filling game
A discussion on composite fillings at our dentist in Orpington would be incomplete without mentioning their counterpart in the dental world: glass ionomer fillings. At first, the idea of filling a cavity with something called "glass ionomer" seemed daunting. It's not exactly comforting to imagine having glass in your teeth. However, once I learned more about it, my apprehensions dissipated.
Glass ionomer is a tooth-coloured filling material, but it's distinct from composite resin. It's made from a blend of acrylic and a specific type of glass called fluoro aluminosilicate. Not as easily moldable as composite, it nonetheless has its unique benefits, including the ability to release fluoride over time, which can help protect the tooth against further decay.
Why it all matters
The world of cair at our dentist in Orpington is constantly evolving, with new materials and technologies coming into play. Composite fillings, UV curing, and glass ionomer might seem confusing at first, but once you understand them, they transform from bewildering jargon into exciting revelations of dental science.
In the end, it's about more than just 'fixing teeth.' It's about knowing what's going into our bodies and how it impacts us, now and in the future.
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