What are Dental Fillings?
A dental filling is a restoration that is used to replace an area of decay in a tooth. Fillings are typically made using composite resin material, which is tooth-colored in nature. Fillings help to stop the spread of decay as well as fill the small hole that was made to remove the cavity. Fillings can easily last for many years before they’ll need to be replaced with new material.
Why would Dental Fillings be needed?
Most patients need fillings if they have one or more cavities. A cavity is a small area of decay within a tooth. Over time, this area of decay can get worse and goes deeper into the tooth. Before the decay is able to reach the inner pulp (nerve) of the tooth, it is removed and a filling placed.
Who is a candidate for Dental Fillings?
Unfortunately, most cavities will not exhibit any symptoms until they get worse. Because of this, it is important to come in for regular checkups so that we can determine if a cavity is present. If you do have a cavity, we will recommend coming in to have a filling placed as soon as possible. This prevents further progression of the decay and the eventual need for a root canal.
What happens during the procedure to place Dental Fillings?
The first step is to numb the area with a localized anesthetic. From there, we will carefully remove any and all decay from the tooth itself. The hole is prepped for the filling by applying a bonding gel agent. The composite tooth-colored filling is then placed inside of this small hole. Excess filling material is removed and the remaining filling is cured into place with a bright light. We can place several fillings at the same time, if they are within the same area of the mouth. This prevents your whole mouth from being numb at the same time.
If you would like to learn more about fillings and schedule an appointment to come in for care, call us today to speak with one of our friendly staff members.