?:definition
|
-
Dental pins designed for insertion in the healthy dentine of a tooth to provide retention and/or stabilization (i.e., scaffolding) for dental restorations. These pins are typically small-diameter metal (e.g., stainless steel, titanium) cylinders, usually in a range of 1.0 to 3.2 mm (0.04 to 0.125 inch) that are inserted in a previously drilled hole in the tooth and fixed by either cement and/or threading or friction. A cylindrical hole with a beveled top is predrilled in the tooth to receive the threaded end of the pin; pins with a diameter larger than the accommodating hole may be fixed by friction alone. The upper part of the pin provides a surface for securely attaching the restoration (e.g., a reconstructed coronal portion) to the tooth. Larger devices intended for insertion into the root canal are called dental posts.
|