Intro to Operative Dentistry Flashcards
What are the 2 types of resorations and what is the one which therapists do?
Direct
–Soft malleable material
–Tooth built up before the material sets
–Single procedure
Indirect
–Fabricated outside the mouth, using an impression of the prepared tooth, gold /ceramics
–Inlays, onlays, crowns, bridges, veneers – when less tooth tissue remaining, strength required
–Bonded permanently with a cement
Therapists do DIRECT!
What are the 4 reasons for restoring teeth?
- Caries
- Non-Carious Tooth Substance Loss (tooth wear)
- Replacement of previously failed restorations
- Aesthetics
What are teh aims of restorations?
(4)
- To restore the integrity of the tooth surface
- To restore the function of the tooth
- To remove diseased tissue as necessary
- To restore the appearance of the tooth
What is the aim in dentistry of restorations?
A healthy comfortable mouth with sound intact teeth. Restorations must be designed to prevent future problems & facilitate maintenance of this healthy environment.
Be familiar with the Restoritive Cycle..

When do you intervene a carious lession?
- Important to get right – tooth preparation is irreversible!!! (restorative cycle)
- Caries risk a factor
- Depends on extent of caries (e.g. affected but not infected dentine should be left)
Whe do you place a fissure sealent?
Patient has High/medium risk of caries or special needs and Tooth within 2 years of eruption.
Any more than 2 years and DO NOT fissure seal just moniter.
In occlusal carries if patient is Low risk/no other active lesions/regular attender whatdo you do?
Yes – Option 1. If radiographic evidence of dentine involvement – Sealant Restoration
Yes – Option 2. No radiographic evidence of dentine involvement - Monitor
No – Restore.
In occlusal carries what do you do if it is cavitated?
Restore
With Aproximal caries what do you do with the following situations?
- sound?
- RADIOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
enamel only
reached ADJ
Dentine Involvement
- cavitated
- Sound – Leave
- Radiographic Evidence of a Lesion?
Enamel Only – Monitor & PREVENTION
Reached ADJ – Monitor & PREVENTION
Dentine Involvement
- Outer 50% of dentine with no cavitation. – Monitor & PREVENTION
- Inner 50% and/or cavitation - Restore
•Cavitated?? – Restore!!!!
How can we tell if a proximal lesion os cavitated?
Separators and direct vision – no probing!!
In cervical caries what do you do in the following situations?
- sound and stained
- stained and decalcified
- cavitated
- Sound and Stained – Leave
- Stained and Decalcified
Arrestable? Yes – Monitor
No – Restore
•Cavitated?? – Restore!!
what are the 4 differnt ways of Non-carious Tooth Substance Loss?
- Attrition
- Abrasion
- Erosion
- Abfraction
Attrition e.g. grinding tooth to tooth
(what is looks like)

Abrasion •Tooth (mechanical habit)
(what is looks like)

Erosion •Acid - Tooth
(what is looks like)

Abfraction
- Tensile stresses from occlusal overload – increased susceptibility to abrasion and erosion.
- Loss of tooth
structure due to
flexural forces.
•Enamel rods #
and dislodge, tooth flexure
increases. V-shaped notch.
(what is looks like)

What is the main aim of cavity preperation?
- Main aim is to remove infected dentine, and seal in the dentine tubules, thus preventing further micro leakage
- N.B. All cavity preparations should be kept as minimal as possible! Preserving as much sound tooth structure as possible.
What are the different possibilities for preparing for a restoration?
- Traditionally -MAIN ONE
- Micro-preparation techniques
- Chemomechanical caries removal
- Sonic tooth preparation
- Air abrasion
- Lasers
- Ozone
- ART (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment)
What is Micro-Preparation?
- Handpieces and burs of reduced size
- Aids in keeping any preparation cavities to minimum
- Should be used with magnification

What is Chemo-Mechanical Caries Removal?
- An alternative to burs
- Application of Sodium hypochlorite (0.5%) (Carisolv)
- Advantages – ideal for nervous patients/ children
- Disadvantages – may not remove enough carious tissue, time consuming

What is Sonic Preperation?
- Handpiece works by vibration rather than rotation
- Can be ‘safe sided’ diamonds
- Can make tooth preparation very precise
- Promising, more research required
What is Air Abbrasion?
- Specific units needed
- Spray aluminium oxide particles through a fine angled nozzle – cuts through tooth tissue
- Advent 1940’s
- Reintroduced in 1980’s with bonded restorations.
What is Lasers?
- Ideally can be used for soft and hard tissue removal
- Early stages – already used for soft tissue removal, although more evidence required for hard tissue removal

