Whats wrong with an open contact?

Open contacts occur when a filling or crown doesnt meet the adjacent proximal tooth surface with a good contact area. The adjacent surfaces should be in close proximaty for bucco lingually for about three mm so that food doesn't get wedged in between these teeth. Sometimes creating a good contact can be a challenge for a dentist, but it is often necessary to accomplish in order to avoid future problems including recurrent decay and or periodontal pocketing.

When food does collect and wedge into a patients gum, often the two teeth involved develop decay near the gingiva. This type of recurrent decay can be hard to successfully restore long term with a composite restoration since there is no gingival enamel to bond to and the resulting restorations are more prone to further recurrent decay.  Eventually this decay can lead to a dentist needing to fabricate a crown, perform a root canal or even lead to the eventual extraction of the tooth.

To avoid all of these negative future consequences getting a good contact is imperative. I find that using a good sectional matrix  system pushes the teeth apart and allows a dentist to create good proximal contact between teeth. The V3 ring and contoured matrix that these kits provide are essential to creating the right type proximal contact when using composite to restore a tooth. Old fashioned Tofflemire retainers with straight walled matrixes are not likely to work well.

from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2018/08/whats-wrong-with-open-contact.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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