Used to treat cavities or redo old fillings, perhaps in amalgam, or to close dental spaces, repair chips or fractures. But also to correct blemishes or minor misalignments in a minimally invasive manner.
Direct restoration (or filling) is performed directly by the dentist on the patient in a single session. The micromechanical bonding of the restorative material to the dentin takes place through an adhesive layer; in this way, the resin penetrates the collagen fibres of the enamel and creates a network structure.
This procedure allows the composite resin to bond to the dentin surface with a very strong and long-lasting chemical bond, greatly limiting the risk of marginal microleakage.
The advantages of composite materials over metal materials (amalgam) include aesthetics, less cavity preparation with the advantage of preserving more healthy tissue and the possibility of reinforcing residual tooth structure. The latest generation of composite materials, thanks to their chemical-physical properties, make aesthetic restorations stable and reliable over time, even in the posterior region. They are highly resistant to masticatory load, radiopaque, with elastic characteristics similar to dentine and wear behaviour comparable to enamel. This procedure can also be used to close dental spaces (diastemas), fill small cavities, remove stains, repair enamel chips or small fractures.
Indirect composite restorations or inlays
When the surface of the tooth to be reconstructed is very large, or the shape and colour need to be improved (e.g. incisors), ‘inlays’ or ‘veneers’ are used. They are made using an indirect technique because they are not made directly by the dentist, but by the dental technician: using an impression of the dental arch, the composite restoration is prepared, which is then fixed in the mouth using special cements.
Pre-prosthetic reconstruction of endodontically treated elements
A tooth may need endodontic treatment due to a major carious process, in order to place an endocanal post that allows us to have greater retention and strength of the coronal restoration. The endocanal posts used in dentistry today can be made of different materials depending on their properties (cast alloy or composite fibres).
A composite restoration will then be made around the post, which will then ‘cling’ to the post and consequently be more stable and resistant to chewing loads.
Tooth alignment with adhesive technique
Today it is possible to correct minor misalignments of the front teeth without necessarily having to undergo orthodontic treatment. This can be achieved by veneering the anterior surface of our teeth with veneers or aesthetic composite fillings (bonding).
