Restoration of the tooth with a tab
As a rule, when it comes to restoring a tooth, we immediately think about installing a seal. However, if the tooth is destroyed too much, this method will not work. But dentists have found a solution and will be able to help by preserving the tooth with a special ceramic tab. It allows you to repair significant damage, looks aesthetically pleasing and serves for many years.
Ceramic inlays should not be confused with veneers, which, as a rule, are installed on the front teeth and perform a more aesthetic function. Tabs are placed on chewing teeth. Like veneers, they are made in a dental laboratory according to an individual prototype.
When a ceramic tab is needed
The tab will be a salvation in cases when installing a conventional seal will not help save the tooth. Of course, we always say that it is important to see a doctor in time, but, you must agree, situations are different, and with modern dental restoration technologies, you can not worry about having to remove a tooth and put an implant when it can still be saved.
There are only two main disadvantages of installing a ceramic tab – it costs more than a seal (but it also lasts an order of magnitude longer!), and you will also have to visit the clinic twice, since you first need to make a tab in the laboratory. But this is not so important compared to the fact that the tooth will remain in place and the destruction process will be reliably stopped.
Advantages of ceramic tabs
- Allows you to save the tooth from removal, the tab will help to preserve the tooth, even if it is half destroyed. The minimum gap between the tab and the tooth guarantees the reliability of the design, the tab is fixed in such a way that the risk of secondary caries is reduced to almost zero.
- Ceramic has a high strength – a very durable material, it does not require special care. It is enough to follow the rules of basic oral hygiene, and the tab will last you 10-15 years, whereas the seal usually needs to be replaced after 3-5 years.
- It looks natural The color of the ceramics is selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, and the tab will not look like a foreign element. Ceramics do not darken, do not stain over time, do not lose their attractive appearance and do not tarnish.
In addition to the usual restorative tabs, there are also stump tabs – they serve as the basis for the crown and have a special root part in the form of a fixing pin. The dentist will most likely offer you to install such a tab in case of severe tooth destruction, if the root remains intact.
How is the tab made?
The MedeLine dental clinic uses a high-tech CEREC hardware complex for the manufacture of tabs. It allows you to scan a damaged cavity, simulate a tab individually for each patient and, based on a prototype, carve it out of a single block of ceramics. Next, the tab is fired in a special oven and then fixed on the tooth. Everything ingenious is simple!
How to take care of the tab?
As we have already said, the tab does not require special care. Of course, in the first days after installation, you need to be careful, avoid mechanical pressure, eating solid foods, hot and cold food. And then it will be enough to brush your teeth twice a day, use mouthwashes and dental floss, do not neglect professional hygiene and do not forget to visit a doctor for preventive examinations.
