Conservative Dental Treatment

Factors of Tooth Decay
Bacterial Plaque

Eating habits: Excessive consumption of acidic and sugar-rich foods

Brushing habits: Teeth should be brushed 2-3 times a day to prevent tooth decay. Brushing before bed is especially important, as food residue left in the mouth overnight increases the acidic environment and, consequently, the risk of cavities.

Alignment of teeth: If teeth are crowded (crowded), the inability to brush or floss between teeth and clean these spaces makes tooth decay more likely.

Saliva: Saliva is a mouth fluid that washes teeth and, due to its chemical composition, protects teeth from decay. Saliva production decreases in some systemic diseases, such as diabetes, and in people who breathe through the mouth at night. Tooth decay can increase in teeth deprived of the rinsing properties of saliva.

Tooth decay can occur on the chewing surface of the tooth, at the interfaces where the teeth meet, or in the neck areas of the teeth. Brown discoloration or cavities on visible surfaces are easy to detect. However, X-ray diagnosis is also necessary for decay that has not yet developed these symptoms.

Decay that begins in the tooth's enamel, if left untreated, progresses to the dentin. Dentin is a more easily soluble structure than enamel, and therefore, decay progresses rapidly. If a decay has reached the dentin, the patient may experience sensitivity to hot, cold, sour, or sweet, caused by a causative agent. This pain resolves when the causative agent is removed.

Conservative Dental Treatment
Conservative treatment in dentistry begins with the dentist's efforts to prevent decay from developing and extends to treating the existing decay before it progresses too far or to cleaning the decay and restoring lost tooth tissue. The patient's medical history (complaint and general health history) and the diagnosis made through X-rays guide the dentist in choosing either conservative or endodontic treatment. The simplest conservative treatment involves recommendations to prevent decay. The most common and well-known method is to repair a decayed tooth using filling materials.

For dental fillings, the tooth tissue must be damaged for various reasons (decay, wear, discoloration and structural changes, developmental issues, trauma, etc.). The aim of a filling is to restore lost aesthetics and function to the natural tooth. Various materials are used for fillings. Currently, the filling materials used include amalgam, composite materials (aesthetic fillings), and porcelain. While the use of amalgam (silver-based and silver-colored) fillings is decreasing, the use of natural tooth-colored composite and porcelain fillings is increasing.

Types of Dental Fillings
Amalgam Fillings
Also known as metal fillings, amalgam is produced by the reaction of an alloy of silver, tin, and copper with mercury. The mercury bonds the metals together, creating a durable filling material. The mercury in the filling is non-toxic and becomes harmless when combined with other metals. The amount absorbed from water, air, and food in our daily lives is much less. Amalgam fillings are the longest-lasting, most durable, and most easily applied filling type.

When are Amalgam Fillings Used?

In areas prone to excessive chewing, in back teeth with extensive decay,

In teeth with severe and deep decay (tissue loss),

In patients with difficulty controlling saliva,

In patients without mercury or metal allergies.

After the amalgam filling is placed, it is recommended to avoid chewing for 2 hours and to avoid consuming hard and sticky foods in the area for the next 24 hours. Polishing is performed after 24 hours to extend the life of the filling and to eliminate any existing swelling.

After amalgam fillings placed on deep decay, the affected tooth may experience short-term sensitivity to hot and cold.

Composite Fillings
Composite is an aesthetic filling material produced as an alternative to amalgam fillings. It bonds to the hard tissue of the tooth with a bonding agent. It is available in a variety of colors and has been used for many years. Composite fillings are placed layer by layer on the tooth, and each layer is cured with light. They are shaped and polished to the tooth's shape, and polished in the same session. Due to their aesthetic appeal and ease of application, they are preferred as filling materials for front teeth. Composite fillings play a significant role in modern conservative dentistry. Composite applications are more economical than porcelain and gold fillings and require only one appointment.

The composite material used in composite fillings is not as hard as natural teeth. Nail biting, hard foods, and pencil biting can damage the material. The lifespan of the filling depends on your oral habits and the size of the filling.

After the tooth decay is removed, the tooth's color is determined, and the putty-like composite material is applied. It is shaped, and then the material is cured with a light. After the filling material has hardened, the filling is then placed in the