Today’s message looks at one of the miracles of modern restorative dentistry in Fort Worth. 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 construct fillings, crowns, and dental bridges.
Building the Crown of Tomorrow
Consider the physical and chemical requirements of this incredible substance. It must tolerate 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 impair 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 generate 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 aesthetics yet. Ideally, this extraordinary material would look identical to genuine teeth in color, opacity, and translucence.
Restorative Dentistry in Fort Worth
Of course, we know that such an item exists because dental restorations have been around for a long time. Nowadays, there are numerous 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.
It is interesting to note that porcelain, one of the perfect materials used in modern restorations, was actually invented over 2000 years ago in China.
Sometimes we wonder if the ancient Chinese porcelain founders who developed the techniques for molding, firing, and painting the beautiful tableware and vases admired around the world, ever imagined that their invention would live beautifully in the mouths of millions of individuals more than twenty centuries later!
Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry offers porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental crowns, dentures and restorative dentistry in Fort Worth. For more information, call Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry today at 817-274-7875 or visit our website.
Contact Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:
817-274-7875
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
909 W Mitchell St
Arlington, Texas
76013
