Phantom heads (Dental manikins) are used for realistically simulating all types of dental treatment as well as ergonomic working or first aid procedures but without a real patient having to be present. Dental manikin are mainly used for demonstration, training and teaching purposes (lectures, courses, further education, studying).
Phantom heads are advantageous in that they can be used for testing, demonstrating and practicing known, new or experimental procedures. Time-consuming, complex, unpleasant or invasive working procedures can be standardised (by using educational model, teeth etc.) and carried out simultaneously (group training) or consecutively as often as required (repeat procedures). And the patient neither has to invest time nor is he subjected to risks or discomfort (as the outer and inner surfaces of the head can be disinfected) and, in addition, the operator is not exposed to the risk of infection.
Dental manikins consist of a multi-unit, rigid interior framework, usually lockable in various positions, which includes temporomandibular joints and prefabricated holders for retaining (via screw or magnet) various types of phantom model. Modern phantom heads also include a "jaw simulator" (resembling an articulator) with condylar assemblies (including adjustable parameters such as the inclination of condylar guidance) for carrying out natural jaw excursions.
The restricted view of and access to the oral cavity due to facial skin and soft tissues are imitated by an elastic rubber mask. Further features may include a water drain and trap, bench mounts, phantom torso and devices for attaching the phantom head to dental chairs. All parts of phantom heads can be replaced if necessary (damage, wear, change of application).
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Composites also composite (from the Latin componere = to compose) are tooth-coloured filling materials with plastic properties used in dental treatment. In lay terms they are often referred to as plastic fillings, also erroneously sometimes confused with ceramic… Composites also composite (from the Latin componere = to compose) are tooth-coloured filling materials with plastic properties used in dental treatment. In lay terms they are often referred to as plastic fillings, also erroneously sometimes confused with ceramic fillings due to their tooth colour. After being placed in a cavity they cure chemically or by irradiating with light or a combination of the two (dual-curing). Nowadays, composites are also used as luting materials. The working time can be regulated with light-curing systems, which is a great advantage both when placing fillings and during adhesive luting of restorations. Dual-curing luting materials are paste/paste systems with chemical and photosensitive initiators, which enable adequate curing, even in areas in which light curing is not guaranteed or controllable. Composites were manufactured in 1962 by mixing dimethacrylate (epoxy resin and methacrylic acid) with silanized quartz powder (Bowen 1963). Due to their characteristics (aesthetics and advantages of the adhesive technique) composite restorations are now used instead of amalgam fillings.
The material consists of three constituents: the resin matrix (organic component), the fillers (inorganic component) and the composite phase. The resin matrix mainly consists of Bis-GMA (bisphenol-A-glycidyldimethacrylate). As Bis-GMA is highly viscous, it is mixed in a different composition with shorter-chain monomers such as, e.g. TEGDMA (triethylene glycol dimethacrylate). The lower the proportion of Bis-GMA and the higher the proportion of TEGDMA, the higher the polymerisation shrinkage (Gonçalves et al. 2008). The use of Bis-GMA with TEGDMA increases the tensile strength but reduces the flexural strength (Asmussen & Peutzfeldt 1998). Monomers can be released from the filling material. Longer light-curing results in a better conversion rate (linking of the individual monomers) and therefore to reduced monomer release (Sideriou & Achilias 2005) The fillers are made of quartz, ceramic and/ or silicon dioxide. An increase in the amount of filler materials results in decreases in polymerisation shrinkage, coefficient of linear expansion and water absorption. In contrast, with an increase in the filler proportion there is a general rise in the compressive and tensile strengths, modulus of elasticity and wear resistance (Kim et al. 2002). The filler content in a composite is also determined by the shape of the fillers.
Minimally-invasive preparation and indiscernible composite restoration
Composite restorations Conclusion |