Dental Restorations – Exquisite Dental Tech

Bridging the Communication Gap Between Dentist and Lab

Here at Exquisite Dental Tech, we’ve seen many amazing changes in the technology of dentistry over the last few decades. We’ve seen new restorative materials, advances in scanners, guided surgery, and milling techniques, amazing advances in implant dentistry, and similar things. But there is one thing that remains constant in our field: the need for accurate, complete, and timely communication between dentist and lab. Because no patient’s mouth is quite the same as any other’s, dental restorations will always be done on a case by case basis, and sharing the details of what must be done is absolutely necessary. This has always been true, but it’s especially so nowadays, given the wide choices that clinicians and patients have. There is a bewildering variety of dental products to choose from, and dentist and lab must be clear on which one is best for the patient. Years ago, dentists had to rely on phones, mail, and later faxes to communicate with labs. Now with modern scanning technology, far greater accuracy is assured. Also, newer products allow patients to be more picky about things like which shade they want for their restoration. Though oral health is always the doctor’s first concern, [...]

New Material for Dental Restorations

At Exquisite Dental Tech, we owe it to our dentist clients to stay up to date on the latest materials used in restorations. Some are available now, some are just hitting the market, and some are a few years from reaching your patients’ mouths. One, which is so new it doesn’t have a name yet, is being developed by Materials Scientists at the University of California at Santa Barbara. It takes advantage of mechanisms that have evolved over millions of years to help mussels stick to alternately wet and dry surfaces, which of course is something that dentures and implants must do. In practice it means that researchers are creating a newer, more durable composite that lends and additional layer of protection to treated teeth. This could mean longer lasting fillings, implants, and crowns. Says Dr. Kolbe Ahn of UCSB’s Marine Science Institute, “It’s as hard as a typical dental restoration but less likely to crack.” His research is mentioned in the latest edition of the journal Advanced Materials. Often today’s dental restorations often don’t last more than 10 years in a patient’s mouth before requiring replacement. Though patients are urged not to engage in activities like bruxing, [...]