Composite fillings are tooth coloured which may be used to cover one or more surfaces, repair small fractures, minimally damaged or decayed primary or permanent teeth thereby restoring them to their normal colour, shape, contour and function. Composite fillings are not suitable for teeth that have had pulp (nerve) treatment or for extensively damaged teeth.
Composite crowns are used to restore a front tooth that may have been damaged by decay, malformation, discoloration or injury. As with all adhesive restorations, care should be taken to avoid sticky chewy food. Additionally, patients are advised not to bite into hard foods using their front teeth, as this may cause the filling to fracture or dislodge.
Crowns used to restore molar teeth can be white (Zirconia) or silver (stainless steel). Crowns are usually recommended to repair a primary or permanent molar that is significantly decayed or broken down, or following a pulp therapy, which has little tooth structure left to support a filling. Without the placement of a crown the remaining portion of the severely weakened tooth may decay/ fracture further and extraction may be the only option.
The advantages of the stainless-steel crowns are that they preserve more of the tooth structure, are long lasting and easy to clean. The stainless-steel crown can also act as a temporary filling for a young permanent molar and is often replaced with a tooth-coloured crown once the child has reached adulthood.
Pulp therapy is the treatment of infected nerves and blood vessels in teeth. With the proper pulp treatment, the tooth can be preserved for chewing food and maintaining proper space for permanent teeth. Extensive dental decay, or fracture following a traumatic injury are the main reasons for a tooth to require pulp therapy.