Teeth Fillings

A filling is a method to bring your decayed or damaged tooth to its normal shape and function. Before filling your dentist cleans the affected area by removing decayed tooth material. After that, your dentist performs a procedure of filling a cavity.

The filling is a useful way to prevent further decay and it also limits the entrance of bacteria. The common materials used for filling are composite resin, gold, amalgam (an alloy of copper, mercury, and silver) and porcelain.

When bacteria attract teeth and create a hole that hole is called a cavity. The purpose of a filling is to prevent further damage to the tooth. Bacteria that create a cavity may reside inside it and may cause further damage. With the help of a drill, the dentist cleans the cavity and removes the decayed material to prepare it for filling. Filling a cavity does not fix the damage already done due to bacteria or decay, it only prevents further damage.

Today, most dentists use composite resins for filling. However, many dentists still believe in using glass ionomer fillings and silver amalgam. The fillings operate by removing the portion of the tooth damaged by the deterioration of the tooth. The dentist adjusts them in such a way that they match the surrounding teeth shape. A filling helps to restore the integrity and strength of the tooth. It also makes them resistant to further attacks. The filling makes your teeth strong and healthy to perform their functions effectively.

Enamel is the hard tissue that covers the outside of your teeth. Erosion of the enamel is what leads to the formation of a cavity. Whatever reason leads to this cavity can cut even deeper into your tooth, resulting in the nerves and pulp getting exposed. This causes your tooth to become very sensitive and tender. If you don’t take care of it even then, it will become even more painful, resulting in the formation of a pus-filled abscess, and can even cause the permanent loss of a tooth. Getting a filling on time will help prevent these problems.

Dental fillings consist of a variety of materials using procedures that vary slightly. The material that either the patient or dentist chooses depends upon a variety of factors. These include strength, aesthetics, durability, and most importantly, their cost.

When mixed with glass powders, acrylic makes a substance known as an ionomer. Glass ionomer fillings are cheap and translucent. They easily blend with the natural colour of your teeth along with releasing a small quantity of fluoride, which helps prevent further decay. However, they are not as durable and long-lasting as other types of fillings.

Fillings that consist of dental ceramics is very durable, look natural, and neither do they stain like the composites, however, they are relatively costly. They are formulated either in the dental laboratory or in the office using high tech modelling software like CAD-CAM or Pro-E. Despite the fact they are very popular from an aesthetic point of view, they are also fragile and brittle, causing them to chip or crack easily.

A visual examination along with an x-ray is performed in order to determine the extent to which the tooth has decayed. The cavity is firstly drilled clean by giving local anesthesia so that the patient doesn’t feel any sort of pain. The dentist thoroughly cleans the cavity, after which he roughens the surface by applying a mildly acidic solution in some cases. The purpose is that the rough surface holds the filling in a better way. The material of the filling is then applied inside the cavity which has been prepared.

The local anesthesia induced numbness typically wears off within a couple of hours. You should try not to consume extremely hot or cold beverages until then. Avoid eating anything on that side of the mouth which contains the filling. Sensitivity to hot and cold may remain for the first couple of weeks following the filling. If it persists any longer or you feel pain while eating, then you better visit your dentist because your filling might need a readjustment.