Crown inlay - the best method of prosthetics?

What is a stump inlay for a crown? Photos of the design and real reviews about it, how it is made and installed in the oral cavity.

In order to become more deeply acquainted with the stump crowns, we will compare them with pins, talk about the positive and negative aspects of the selection.

What it is?

The stump tab for the crown is a specially designed device for the subsequent installation of a denture on it. This tool is used for the complete destruction of the patient's own teeth.

Despite the length and relative complexity of the installation of the design, it is becoming increasingly popular, both among patients and in the dental community. This is due to the reliability of the device, which qualitatively distinguishes it from other structures with the same purpose.

There are several types of stump inlays, they are distinguished according to the material and method of manufacture. By type of manufacture, the following are distinguished:

1. Collapsible core tab - due to the ability to remove and add the necessary pins, it can be used in case of tooth decay with several roots. Differs in reliability and complexity in selection and installation.
2. Cast stump tab - one part is responsible for fastening in the human dentition, and the second restores the shape of the dental crown. The name appeared due to the characteristic method of manufacture, it is made under the influence of high temperature and pressure.

Manufacturing and installation

According to the material for their manufacture, they can be conditionally divided into the following types:

• ceramic - the main material is pressed ceramic, it gives the smile an aesthetic look. Thanks to high-tech manufacturing, it eliminates the possibility of dental diseases at the installation site;
• metal - can be made from a wide range of materials: from cobalt to precious metals. Such tabs stand out in the dentition, which can cause some discomfort in patients, so they are installed on the back chewing teeth. Differ in reliability;
• from metal and ceramics - aesthetically more pleasing designs, but have low reliability. Fallout cases occur due to some incompatibility of the structural components in terms of response to thermal exposure;
• composite - are not often used due to low reliability and unreasonably high cost of their manufacture and installation.

For each patient, you can choose the most suitable type and shape of the stump tab, and then proceed with its installation. This process should be analyzed in more detail:

1. Preparation - the damaged tooth is processed according to the usual scheme, including the filling of the dental canals, after which the dentist will unfill about half the length of the previously filled canals. This is necessary for the subsequent installation of pins from the stump lining in these places so that they fit the patient, the doctor creates special casts of the dental cavities. An impression is made from the prepared tooth, and on its basis the cavity of the tooth is filled with special masses. Two casts are compared and come to the final form of the future inlay. For a more detailed picture, the dentist may take casts of teeth from the opposite jaw.
2. Based on the impressions, dental technicians make a crown that will perfectly fit both adjacent teeth and the chewing surfaces of the opposite jaw.
3. If the teeth have several roots, then a folding stump tab is made, which we talked about earlier, it is installed in the tooth cavity. Due to the presence of a special hole in its structure, an additional pin is inserted through it into the dental canal. After that, the structure is fixed with special cements, which turns it into a monolithic insert.
4. A crown is fitted onto the installed tab, which is made specifically for the design of the stump lining. Modern casting processes of the latter contribute to a quick and clear connection of the two parts of the structure. As a result, we get a dental inlay with a metal base lined with ceramics.

The installation steps listed above are not final, since the specialist can independently determine the form and sequence of installing the tab in accordance with each specific case.

For a more detailed acquaintance with this question, we suggest that you look at several photographs and diagrams.

Advantages and disadvantages

Stump tabs have a number of advantages over previous methods of tooth restoration:

• the possibility of a clear fit of the dental crown to the tab;
• relative resistance to mechanical and chemical damage;
• allows you to significantly reduce the load on the dentoalveolar system;
• reliable installation on teeth with several roots;
• excellent design reliability, which is achieved through precise selection of shape and materials;
• allows you to create whole rows (or bridges) of dentures, being a support for them;
• the possibility of restoring even the most damaged teeth;
• design features do not allow harmful organisms to penetrate into the cavity of the restored tooth;
• due to the method of installation, if the crown is damaged, the stump tab does not need to be changed, a new crown can be created under it;
• does not harm the condition of adjacent teeth.

However, there are also several disadvantages. As a rule, all of them are associated with the complexity of manufacturing:

• significant installation time - it is impossible to do in one go, this is preceded by procedures for measuring the cavities of a damaged tooth and the process of creating an inlay by a dental technician;
• the high cost of this form of prosthetics;
• for correct installation, the dentist must have extensive experience in prosthetics;
• installation requires sawing off a significant amount of the tooth surface.

Contraindications

Despite the relative progressiveness, the stump tab may not be suitable for everyone. There are a number of contraindications to its installation:

• significant damage to the root system of the tooth;
• soft tissue diseases near the installation site, the appearance of a foreign body can worsen the condition of the affected areas;
• individual contraindications to the installation of structures containing certain materials (allergic reaction);
• problems with the condition of adjacent teeth - if they have pathological mobility, the installed structure will not be able to function efficiently and will create a danger to the entire dentoalveolar system.

Before installing the stump tab, the dentist must make sure that the patient does not have all of the above symptoms. Particular attention should be paid to possible allergic reactions to structural elements.