Composite

Composite is a filling material, which can be produced in the colour of a tooth.

There are two kinds of synthetics:

  1. Self-curing 2-components composites
  2. Light-curing 1-componend Composites

 

Self-curing 2-compomnent composites

The self-curing materials are relatively soft. Caused by the shrinking of the materials while curing, often a leak occurs at the border area which reduces the resistance of such fillings a lot. Due to this such composites are usually used as a temporary solution or as a composition material for an upcoming crown.

Light-curing 1-compomnent composites

Synthetics which are light-curing exist now for a very long time, first however –because of the low chewing stability- only for the provisioning of defects of the front teeth. In the past few years the characteristics and the quality of this material improved.  It is now possible under certain circumstances to use this material also for the posterior teeth.

  • use of chewing-pressure-stable material
  • etching the substance of the teeth which is later to be filled with Composite
  • use of a special adhesion promoter to maximize the adhesion of the filling to the tooth (adhesion technique)
  • curing of the composite with a lot of thin layers, using UV irradiation

It is called an adhesion fixing multi-layer-composite filling. This kind of filling is in the area of the amalgam-free plastic filling materials the best kind of provision.

Despite all the progress in the field of composites it is important to be reminded that composites are        –compared to amalgam- not ubiquitous applicable.

 

 

The following criteria needs to be fulfilled for a promising filling:

  1. The expletive defects are only small or medium-sized.
  2. The defects need to be surrounded by dental enamel so that there is enough adhesion of the composite to the substance of the tooth. Therefore the defects can not reach too deep underneath the gums.