Today’s message looks at one of the miracles of restorative dentistry, the dental crown. Let’s pretend you are a biomedical engineer working in the field of dentistry before the inception of dental restorations. The men and women of your generation who have missing or damaged teeth want to repair or replace them with a man-made substitute. You have been hired to find or create a material that can be used to manufacture fillings, crowns, and dental bridges.
Marvels of Restorative Dentistry
Consider the physical and chemical requirements of this incredible material. It must withstand forces of 162 pounds per square inch (PSI), hundreds of times a day – day after day, year after year. It must be resistant to cracking and chipping. But there’s a catch regarding its strength; it must not damage the enamel on opposing teeth. This material must also maintain its size and shape and be resistant to shrinking.
It must be bondable to living tooth structure as well as other materials needed for specific appliances. It must be biocompatible with the soft tissues in the mouth as well as tooth enamel, dentin, and bone. It can’t create allergic reactions in the wearers. It must be corrosion-resistant to the chemicals in saliva, foods, and beverages. It must resist infection regardless of ever-present bacteria in the mouth. And it can’t contain toxic chemicals that could be absorbed into the bloodstream. And we haven’t even discussed the cosmetic properties yet. Ideally, this incredible material would be indistinguishable from real-life teeth in color, opacity, and translucence.
Of course, we know that such an item exists because dental restorations have been around for a long time. At this time, there are multiple materials used alone or in combination including porcelain, ceramic, and metals such as gold and silver amalgam. Though the metals are exceptionally strong and malleable, they don’t meet some patient’s aesthetic requirements and are used mainly for back teeth.
Schedule an Appointment
It is interesting to note that porcelain, one of the perfect materials used in modern restorations, was invented over 2000 years ago in China. You have to wonder if the ancient Chinese porcelain inventors who developed the techniques for molding, firing, and painting the beautiful tableware and vases revered around the world ever imagined that their invention would live beautifully in the mouths of millions of people more than twenty centuries later! Jefferson City Dental Care offers prepless veneers, teeth whitening, dental implants, dental crowns, and restorative dentistry. For more information, call Jefferson City Dental Care today at 573-634-2400 to schedule a consultation.
Extraordinary Care, Extraordinary Caring
Contact Jefferson City Dental Care:
573-634-2400
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
3551 Amazonas Dr
Jefferson City, Missouri
65109
