Alternative restorative treatment

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 882.

Class V cavity preparation

Class V restorations may be adhesive materials (most frequently) or amalgams. They are most often needed on the facial surface of canine. To prepare these restorations, penetrate the tooth in the area of caries with a No. 330 bur until dentin is reached (approximately 1 mm from the outer enamel surface). Move the bur laterally into the sound dentin and enamel, thus establishing the walls of the cavity. The pulpal wall should be convex, parallel to the outer enamel surface. The lateral walls are slightly flared near the proximal surfaces to prevent undermining of enamel. The final external outline is determined by the extent of caries. Mechanical retention in the preparation can be achieved with a No. 35 inverted cone bur or a no. ½ round bur, creating small undercuts in the gingivoaxial and incisoaxial line angles. For resin-based composites, a short bevel is placed around the entire cavosurface margin.

Alternative restorative treatment, or ART, has become a popular descriptive term to describe a conservative method of managing both small and large carious lesions in situations in which treating the disease by more traditional restorative procedures is impossible or impractical. Alternative restorative treatment (ART), formerly known as atraumatic restorative treatment is a technique used to restore defective or carious teeth with minimal cavity preparation followed by placement of a fluoride-releasing material such as glass ionomer. This method may prevent pain and preserve teeth in individuals who do not have access to regular and conventional oral health care. ART may be performed with only hand instruments when no other dental equipment is available, but it may be useful sometimes in the conventional dental setting as well. ART does not require the complete excavation of dentine caries before placement of the restorative material. This is not a totally new concept in dentistry, but it has enjoyed renewed recognition as a viable restorative approach because of the development of the more durable fluoride-releasing glass ionomer and resin-modified glass ionomer restorative materials. Young patients, uncooperative patients, patients with special needs and situations where traditional cavity preparation and placement of traditional dental restorations is not possible, may require the use of an alternative restorative treatment.