How to care for metal-ceramic teeth?

Modern dental prosthetics Minsk – one of the most popular dental procedures. Loss of teeth and, as a result, malocclusion, the development of serious diseases of the oral cavity and the whole body are quite common. But if a couple of centuries ago there was no fight against this, today doctors are already offering a number of technologies for restoring the dentition.

Metal-ceramic dental are durable, easy to use and reliable, and they also look like real teeth. That is why many patients prefer to restore their teeth using metal-ceramic prosthetics. But in order to maintain the natural appearance of the crowns, it is necessary to properly care for them. The Family Dentistry Medical Center offers you to familiarize yourself with the list of basic recommendations for caring for metal-ceramic teeth.

Maintaining good oral hygiene

Artificial teeth, just like real teeth, need regular brushing in the morning and evening, and after each meal. If it is not possible to brush your teeth at one time or another, simply rinse your mouth with clean water and use a irrigator. Dentures should be cleaned vertically from the gums to the edges of the teeth. For these purposes, a regular toothbrush, or even one with soft bristles, is suitable, but it is better to consult your doctor about toothpaste. It is also advisable to use mouthwash and dental floss to thoroughly clean the spaces between your teeth. But in addition to home care, you should not refuse professional services: dental cleaning, removal of accumulated plaque and tartar. It is recommended to visit the dentist 2 times a year.

What does dental care consist of?

Let's look at how to care for metal-ceramic dentures:

Clean the mouth at least twice a day.
Disposing of leftover food after every meal, including snacks.
It is advisable to avoid the use of nicotine, tea and coffee, which can leave unpleasant stains on dentures.
Regular visits to the doctor to remove the plaque that has formed.
Regularly remove structures at night, placing them in a special solution, or leaving them dry.
Avoiding exposure to too high and low temperatures, as well as their changes.
Do not try to chew hard foods, open bottles with your teeth, etc., which causes a lot of stress and can damage the prosthesis.

Rejection of bad habits

Smoking negatively affects the health of our body, but primarily affects our teeth. As a result, artificial crowns gradually begin to accumulate plaque and change their shade. A similar reaction is caused by excessive consumption of coffee, tea and drinks containing dyes, so you should monitor not only oral hygiene, but also daily habits, especially for those who like to use their teeth for other purposes (opening bottles, chewing off hard objects, etc.). d.).

Seeing a doctor

You need to make an appointment with a dentist if the following problems occur:

The installed structure has lost stability;
There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth;
An inflammatory process is observed on the gums, pain is felt;
The crown is installed incorrectly, causes discomfort to the person, and interferes with other teeth;
The prosthesis fell out.

In addition, you need to visit the clinic for professional preventive cleaning and crown replacement. The service life of such structures varies between 2-15 years, depending on the material of manufacture and compliance with operating rules. Even if the service life of the crown has not expired, it is better to replace it if the color changes or cracks appear. Do not self-medicate, it is better to consult a specialist!

Nutritional Features

Too cold or hot food damages tooth enamel, especially if consumed at the same time (for example: hot tea and cold jam). Metal-ceramic dental crowns are also susceptible to heat and can crack, break, or suffer a variety of other damages that require immediate replacement. You should not indulge in solid foods, for example: nuts, candies, etc.

Our teeth, whether natural or artificial, are in dire need of daily and competent care. Do not forget to follow the recommendations of your doctor, and also monitor the health of your teeth: have your teeth treated under anesthesia and do not let oral diseases ruin your life. Modern dentistry in Minsk offers treatment without fear and pain, or more precisely, treatment in your sleep. Specialists at the Family Dentistry Center use drug sedation for these purposes. While the patient is sleeping peacefully, the doctor can carry out all the necessary procedures without causing discomfort or pain. It is convenient and safe for both adult patients and children.

With proper care, high-quality cermet dentures can last more than 15 years. This is not only profitable from a financial point of view, but also practical. Monitor the health of your teeth and promptly seek help or advice from your doctor. Remember, the health and beauty of your smile depends only on you!

Careful crown care

Artificial teeth are not prone to decay and are not susceptible to carious damage. However, if there is no care for teeth with crowns, plaque forms on the surface and an unpleasant odor appears. These factors contribute to the formation of tartar, which, in turn, provokes serious dental problems.

Caring for ceramic crowns is simple; usually the whole procedure comes down to daily preventative cleaning of teeth and installed structures. It is not necessary to go to a dental clinic for this.

How to store dental structures

Be sure to ask your dentist about where to store your dentures. Previously, they were dipped in a glass of water or a special solution to protect them from the growth of bacteria and drying out.

New generation structures are made from materials with the addition of acrylic, silicone, and nylon. They retain their properties even when stored out of water. It is enough to purchase a special case or container. They are mostly plastic, opaque and sealed. Such a box will protect the prosthesis from the dominance of pathogenic flora, scratches and impacts.

Teeth whitening with denture and crown

As we wrote earlier, changing the color of an already installed crown is extremely difficult, almost impossible, especially if the color does not match several tones at once. The best solution in such a situation would be to first carry out the whitening procedure, and only then select a ceramic or metal-ceramic crown that matches the color.

If you suspect that the teeth whitening procedure may be complicated, first of all you need to consult a specialist who will carefully examine your teeth and select the appropriate whitening treatment for healthy teeth, pulpless teeth, and artificial crowns. All this is possible and real, so there is nothing unnaturally difficult about it.

Make an appointment by calling 597-05-05 or using the online application form.

The benefits of an irrigator when caring for crowns made of zirconium and other materials

The irrigator is ideal for caring for crowns and dental structures. The operating principle of the irrigator is based on a directed pulse of water with adjustable intensity. Such equipment massages the gums and effectively cleans the interdental space. Unlike dental floss, it is impossible to damage soft tissues with an irrigator; there is absolutely no discomfort during such treatment.

You can purchase the irrigator in a stationary or portable version. The second option is slightly inferior in terms of water capacity, but you can take the device with you and care for your oral cavity while traveling.

Author of the article

Why is it impossible to lighten ceramics?

The ceramic coating is fired in the dental laboratory. After this it becomes super strong. It is impossible to influence it with bleaching gels and solutions. Bleaching mixtures will not penetrate the ceramic coating, so lightening will not occur. This property is typical for all types of orthopedic structures.

Teeth whitening should be done only before dentures. After the procedure, the dentist will select future crowns based on the color of the lightened enamel. This means that at the end of treatment, your smile will be flawless.

It is impossible to whiten teeth made of metal ceramics. The only caveat: if they are not in the smile line, then whitening is possible in the front area. Chewing teeth are not noticeable when speaking, therefore, no one will see the difference in the color of the front and chewing teeth.

When can metal ceramics be installed?

Metal-ceramic dental crowns will be an excellent alternative to other dentures in the case of the absence of one tooth in any part of the dentition, although, given the availability today of more aesthetic dentures, metal-ceramics are preferred to be installed in the chewing area of the upper or lower jaws. Dental crowns made of metal-ceramics are often used to restore several lost teeth in a row - this design is called a “metal-ceramic bridge.” Typically, a metal-ceramic bridge replaces up to four missing teeth.

Ultrasonic cleaning and its effectiveness

You can restore the natural whiteness of your smile and lighten artificial crowns a little using the procedure of Prof. hygiene. The method involves cleaning teeth from plaque and deposits, and today various technologies are used for this purpose, including an ultrasonic scaler. This is a hardware technique that involves delivering ultrasonic waves and microvibrations through a special tip, which literally break hardened deposits into tiny particles. At the same time, a jet of water is supplied, which removes dirt and also protects the enamel surface from overheating.

As part of comprehensive hygiene, ultrasonic or laser cleaning is usually combined with sandblasting of enamel using an Air-Flow device. This is a mandatory preventive procedure that should be performed every six months. But here it is worth noting that it will not help whiten either fillings or crowns. Lightening occurs only by removing plaque and deposits.

The photo shows the method of brushing teeth with the Air Flow system.

What types of dentures are there and what are they made of?

Today, the types of dentures, as well as the materials from which they are made, are varied. If the patient is missing one tooth and its root has not been preserved, then it would be best to install an implant and a dental crown on it. If several teeth are missing in the oral cavity, the situation will be saved by installing a bridge (possibly also on implants as the most reliable design). In the case of complete edentia, we will talk about restoring teeth using a complete denture, be it a fixed denture on implants or a complete removable denture.

We should not forget that the material from which dental crowns are made is no less diverse than the structures on which these crowns are fixed. In this case, the beauty and strength of the crown part of the tooth will depend on the material .

Considering the high degree of desired aesthetics, we can safely say that metal dental crowns are hopelessly outdated, just like crowns made of precious metals (white beautiful teeth have long replaced shiny gold teeth). The leading positions are occupied by zirconium dioxide crowns and all-ceramic dental crowns (metal-free ceramic crowns). But along with them, thanks to decent aesthetics and reasonable prices, metal-ceramic crowns remain quite in demand, which we will talk about in more detail.

What is a metal-ceramic crown?

Today, the choice of materials for making dental crowns is very wide: ceramics, zirconium dioxide, and plastic, but metal-ceramics continues to be the most popular and affordable. At the moment, metal ceramics are a kind of gold standard in dentistry, since similar designs have been used by doctors for many years and have proven themselves to be good.

Metal-ceramic crowns are a “cap” with machined fissures, which is placed on a ground tooth and completely imitates its shape, including all anatomical formations. The basis for the structure is a metal frame, which is covered on top with a layer of ceramics, indistinguishable in color from natural enamel. The prosthesis is secured to the ground dental tissues using special composite or glass ionomer cement. In case of severe destruction, a metal tab is first installed, which serves as a reliable basis for the crown. Metal-ceramics are also used for the manufacture of bridges and clasp dentures supported both on the patient’s own teeth and on dental implants. In the latter case, the use of implants with metal abutments is recommended.

What hygiene products are needed and can be used?

NAME	DESCRIPTION
Toothbrush	The bristles should be soft or medium hard. Too hard ones can damage the material and leave small scratches on it, in which plaque will accumulate. The use of an ultrasonic or mechanical brush is allowed, but it is very important to carefully select attachments - they should not have plastic elements (often used to better clean or whiten teeth).
Toothpaste	It is better to use prophylactic toothpaste WITHOUT abrasive substances - they can damage the materials.
Irrigator	It will allow you to remove food debris from the interdental spaces, especially if several crowns are installed in a row or dental bridges are present - in such a situation, a stream of water will remove food debris from under the structure.
Mouthwash	It should be selected in accordance with existing oral problems - for example, to combat gum inflammation, to strengthen enamel or to prevent plaque accumulation. That is, regardless of whether you have dentures or not.

Is it possible to whiten ceramic teeth?

Toothpastes and gels

Metal-ceramic crowns cannot be whitened. But there is a sure-fire remedy that will make caring for them effective. These are hygienic gels and toothpastes that are used for natural products.

It is better to choose products with mild cleaning abilities. They will not damage denture materials and gum tissue.
The bristles on the brush should also be soft.
Mixtures containing propolis, as well as extracts of medicinal herbs, clean well.
Fluoride and calcium compounds are not capable of harming dentures.
It is important that hygiene products do not contain coarse abrasive granules that could scratch the surface of the implants.

Cleaning movements should be vertical, directed towards the cutting edge of the chewing organ. The spaces between units are especially thoroughly cleaned. The chewing surface can be treated with sweeping movements in all directions. After cleaning, removable dentures are stored in a solution or a dry special box.

Special stripes

Before using the strips, you need to read the instructions. They can lighten natural enamel. They are not indicated for artificial crowns. Manufacturers coat flexible thin plates with a special composition. It gently brightens the enamel. The results may not last long. The stripes cope with minor yellowing. Their active substance is a peroxide gel consisting of urea and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. When the strip comes into contact with the enamel, peroxide actively releases oxygen ions. They penetrate hard tissues, which destroys dirty pigments. This lightens the enamel. Units may feel vulnerable for several days. If the surface of the crowns is not smooth, the lightening may be uneven. When the user does not follow safety rules, gum burns occur.

Pencils

Before dental prosthetics, dentists often recommend lightening the units in order to match the artificial crowns with them. If this does not happen, use a special pencil at home. This device resembles a regular marker in appearance. Instead of a rod, it is equipped with a gel substance based on urea and hydrogen peroxide. When pressed, the applicator becomes saturated with gel. The use of such pencils allows you to maintain the natural shade of the crowns. It is better to use it after professional lightening. It happens that metal-ceramic crowns are painted with a pencil before an important meeting. The paint can be easily washed off during the hygiene procedure.

Tablets for dissolution

Ceramic structures can be easily cleaned chemically. For this purpose, special tablets have been produced. With their help, the implant material is carefully cleaned without damage. They usually contain proteolytic ingredients and disinfectants. They cope well with dirty bacterial deposits. To carry out the procedure, a tablet is dissolved in a small container of clean water. The denture is soaked for 10-15 minutes if the contamination is minor. In case of serious contamination, the residence time in the solution is increased according to the instructions.

Metal-ceramic dentures

Metal-ceramic dentures are dental crowns consisting of a metal frame and a ceramic coating. This design looks quite natural and lasts a long time, so metal-ceramic crowns are installed both in place of one missing tooth and several teeth in the dentition (in this case we are talking about a bridge made of metal-ceramics). The metal-ceramic frame of the future crown is made from alloys of nickel and chromium, cobalt and chromium, a base of palladium and silver, gold or platinum. The latter components rarely fit into the pricing policy for metal-ceramic crowns, which stably maintains the demand for this type of dental crown, so the decision to install a metal-ceramic crown is still supported taking into account inexpensive manufacturing materials, which ensure the low cost of metal-ceramic dentures.