Different Materials Used For Direct And Indirect Restoration

Dental restorations are accomplished by two different methods, the direct and indirect restoration. According to the cosmetic dentist huntington park, direct restoration involves placing a soft or malleable filling into the prepared tooth and building up the tooth before the material sets hard while indirect restoration involves fabricating the restoration outside of the mouth using the dental impressions of the prepared tooth. The advantage of direct restorations is that they usually set quickly and can be placed by one operator whereas indirect restoration typically requires several days and would usually require more than just one dentist.
Materials used for direct and indirect restorations are also different. The chemistry of the setting reaction for direct restorative materials is designed to be more biologically compatible. Heat and byproducts generated cannot damage the tooth or patient, since the reaction needs to take place while in contact with the tooth during restoration. This ultimately limits the strength of the materials, since harder materials need more energy to manipulate. Common materials used for direct restoration includes:

* Amalgam - According to the cosmetic dentist huntington park, amalgam is still used extensively in many parts of the world because of its cost effectiveness, superior strength and longevity.
* Composite Resin - They are strong, durable and cosmetically superior to silver or dark gray colored amalgam fillings. Composite resin fillings are usually more expensive than amalgam fillings.
* Glass Ionomer Cement - Although glass ionomers can be used to achieve an aesthetic result, their aesthetic potential does not measure up to that provided by composite resins.
* Resin modified Glass Ionomer Cement - Resin modified glass ionomer cement holds up better than glass ionomer, but not as well as composite resin, and is not recommended for biting surfaces of adult teeth.

Indirect restoration materials may include:

* Porcelain (ceramic) - Porcelain fillings are hard, but can cause wear on opposing teeth. They are brittle and are not always recommended for molar fillings.
* Gold - Gold fillings have excellent durability, wear well, and do not cause excessive wear to the opposing teeth, but they do conduct heat and cold, which can be irritating. For years, they have been considered the benchmark of restorative dental materials. According to cosmetic dentist huntington park, recent advances in dental porcelains and the consumer focus on aesthetic results have caused demand for gold fillings to drop in favor of advanced composites and porcelain veneers and crowns. Gold fillings are usually quite expensive, although they do last a very long time. It is not uncommon for a gold crown to last 30 years in a patient's mouth.