Composites

In dental medicine, a composite is a white material used to fill in or reconstruct teeth.

This material is much more recent than the amalgam which is grey.

Initially, it was mainly used for aesthetic reasons on the front teeth. However, thanks to significant improvements, it can now be used for other purposes and combined with the amalgam. It is made of mineral charges mixed in an organic matrix.

Advantages: Softer than the amalgam (hardness close to dentin's). Better aesthetic results.
Drawbacks: Must be perfectly dry (otherwise it cannot be glued).

Conservative treatment

Conservative odontology is the section of dentistry, which aims to cure teeth by eliminating the least healthy dental substances (enamel and dentin).

It essentially consists of eliminating decayed tissues and replacing missing tissue with a coronary fill-in.

To do so, the tooth must be reconstructed. Two techniques exist

• The direct technique consists in setting a soft material made of plastic in the residual cavity and hardening it with a healing light. This technique is quick, simple, cheap and aesthetically pleasing.
• The indirect technique consists in producing the imprint of the cavity we wish to fill in to enable the dental technician to manufacture the missing bit of the tooth. The materials that can be used are the following: metals (gold, nickel-chromium...), ceramics (or porcelain) or mixed resin. The piece we get from this technique is called an "inlay". When the cavity is really big and that entire bits must be reconstructed, it is called "overlay".

This technique is accurate, long-lasting and aesthetically satisfying.