Preventive Resin Restorations – What are They and How Can They Help You? Part 2

This post is the second in a series on what preventive resin restorations (PRRs) are, who they can benefit most, how they function, and how they are applied. If you haven’t read part 1 yet, I recommend you do before continuing.

Who is a candidate for preventive resin restorations? (continued)

In fact, often the best time to apply preventive resin restorations is when the tooth first erupts from the gum, before bacteria has had time to cause any decay.

Preserving tooth structure and bone mass

When it comes to adult teeth, once bone mass has been lost, be it to decay, damage, or dental procedures, it can never be replaced. Because of this, dentists are very concerned with how to keep as much bone mass as possible, whether it be through minimally invasive treatment or preventive measures. This is why PRRs can be so beneficial, and why so many dentists like them. On completely healthy teeth, like those that have just erupted from the gum, PRRs can preserve almost all of the original bone mass of the tooth, protecting them from erosive decay. If some decay is present, it will have to be removed before the restoration can be applied, but the PRRs will prevent it from progressing. Any time a dentist can preserve bone mass in the teeth, that’s a big win.

How are preventive resin restorations installed made?

Before PRRs can be placed, any decay must be removed. This isn’t an issue in newly erupted teeth, but if the tooth has been there awhile and the patient is cavity prone (which is likely since that’s usually why they’re getting PRRs in the first place) then oftentimes some decay will have to be removed.

Check back soon for Preventive Resin Restorations – What are They and How Can They Help You? Part 3. In the meantime, take a look at our page on preventive resin restorations.