Seocho Station Dental Clinic: Restoring Secondary Decay Under a Prosthesis with Resin

Seocho Station Dental Clinic: Secondary decay under a prosthesis

Restored with resin

When teeth are badly decayed,

you often ask,

“Does this need root canal treatment now?”

But my answer is always the same.

If possible, I believe root canal treatment should be postponed

and treated conservatively.

Today, I’d like to introduce a case in which we preserved a patient with severe secondary decay beneath an existing ceramic inlay using resin.

“You mean, isn’t an inlay a bigger treatment than resin?”

You may be thinking that.

Yes.. that’s right.

But at our Jaejunggwon Dental Clinic,

it is possible..!!

Let me explain how that was possible. Please stay focused and read to the end👍

Cavities hidden in various places Seocho Station Dental Clinic

At first glance, it might have seemed like..

“Wow, oral care is really well maintained!”

The teeth looked free of cavities and healthy overall.

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We examined the molar area,

and cavities of various sizes were visible here and there.

I can see them clearly, but can you tell where they are? Seocho Dental Clinic

Because patients often have difficulty identifying them with the naked eye,

we decided to examine the area using the Qray diagnostic device,

which allows cavities to be seen more clearly🙂

👇🏻You can learn more about Qray here👇🏻

Let’s take a closer look! Seocho Dental Clinic

Cavities were also found in the central front teeth.

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The left image is before Qray, and the right image is after.

The red-marked areas in the after image are where decay or bacterial activity was found.

In other words, these are areas that require treatment.

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That was not the end of the problem.

Cavities were found not only on one side, but also in the left and right molars,

and secondary decay, where decay develops again in a previously decayed area, was also found..

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The areas with secondary decay had progressed deeply enough to cause severe pain and discomfort.

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Based on the diagnostic results above,

we decided to establish a step-by-step cavity treatment plan.

Can we save a tooth that has decayed twice? Seocho Dental Clinic

I always ask myself before starting treatment,

while looking at the patient’s teeth:

‘If this were my family member,

would I make the same diagnosis?

Is there any way to treat this more conservatively?’ Seocho Station Dental Clinic

This case was no different.

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In fact, from a textbook perspective..

it would not be strange at all to retreat with a prosthesis.

But I first considered whether it would be possible to reinforce and preserve the tooth using resin.

Because preserving natural teeth is,

above all else, a great asset to the patientㅎㅎ

We also decided to treat the other areas.

For the severely decayed secondary cavity sites, we chose to use resin

to help preserve the teeth.

Today, I’ll focus on this part😊

Solving secondary decay under a prosthesis with resin Seocho Dental Clinic

First, while removing the existing inlay and decay,

we thoroughly cleaned out the infected areas.

Because moisture control was especially important in this process,

we used a rubber dam to completely block the surrounding environment.

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This is necessary for proper resin bonding

and helps reduce the chance of secondary decay developing again.

After removing all decayed areas,

instead of simply leaving the inside of the tooth hollow,

we built up a strong core with resin buildup.

This helps reinforce weakened tooth structure

and allows it to withstand chewing forces for a longer time.

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In particular, for severely decayed molars,

precision in form reproduction and securing strength were key,

so we paid extra careful attention throughout the treatment process.

Resin should always look natural..! Seocho Dental Clinic

The finished tooth was not simply

“a tooth with a hole filled.”

It regained a shape and function similar to the original tooth, and the patient was greatly relieved that it could be preserved without extraction.

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I also felt a great sense of reward

when I was able to save the toothㅎㅎ

This treatment was centered on preserving the patient’s molar

with resin instead of retreating it with a prosthesis.

Rather than moving on to a larger treatment,

we extended the life of the natural tooth through resin,

so for someone like me who loves resin,

this was an especially meaningful treatment^^

What matters in dental treatment

is not simply filling the decayed area.

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The question,

“How can we help this tooth be used for as long as possible?”

must always be the starting point.

I always look for ways to save natural teeth,

even when cavities are severe.

Once a tooth is extracted, it never comes back.

As in today’s case, when a molar that seemed destined for extraction

regains its function with resin,

I become as happy as the patient’s smile🍀

Thank you for reading this long post. This was Director So-hyeon Su.

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👇 Articles worth reading together! 👇

• Depending on the individual, symptoms such as sensitivity, foreign body sensation, and bite discomfort may appear temporarily,

and in rare cases, additional treatment may be necessary.

Treatment period: 250821 - 250915