NORMALLY 1 APPOINTMENT NEEDED
Fillings- to treat a cavity our dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then “fill” the area on the tooth where the decayed material was removed. Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down from misuse (such as from nail-biting or tooth grinding).
Cavity under a crown
- For instances where there is a cavity under an existing crown, our dentists are often able to address that issue by drilling through the crown. In most cases, this approach solves the problem. However, there exists the possibility that during the drilling process, the crown can crack, in this case, the crown will have to be replaced.
The steps involved in filling a tooth
- First, the dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth to be filled. Next, a drill will be used to remove the decayed area.
- Then, our dentist will probe or test the area to determine if all the decay has been removed.
- Once the decay has been removed, the dentist will prepare the space for the filling by cleaning the cavity of bacteria and debris.
- After the filling is in, our dentist will finish and polish it.
Filling materials
- Today, several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold; porcelain; silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper); or tooth-colored, plastic, and materials called composite resin fillings. At amazing dental care, our dentists use composite resin fillings.
- At amazing dental care, we are also capable of replacing existing filling materials, such as amalgam, with our composite resin.
Advantages of composites:
- Aesthetics — the shade/color of the composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth. Composites are particularly well suited for use in front teeth or visible parts of teeth.
- Bonding to tooth structure — composite fillings actually chemically bond to tooth structure, providing further support.
- Versatility — in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken, or worn teeth.
- Tooth-sparing preparation — sometimes less tooth structure needs to be removed compared with amalgam fillings when removing decay and preparing for the filling.
Disadvantages of composites.
- Lack of durability — composite fillings wear out sooner than amalgam fillings (lasting at least five years compared with at least 10 to 15 for amalgams); in addition, they may not last as long as amalgam fillings under the pressure of chewing and particularly if used for large cavities.
- Increased chair time — because of the process to apply the composite material, these fillings can take up to 20 minutes longer than amalgam fillings to place.
- Chipping — depending on location, composite materials can chip off the tooth.