Dental Filling: What to Expect When Getting Cavities Filled
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A dental filling is a way to restore a damaged tooth caused by decay to its normal shape and function. When a dentist prescribes you a dental filling, he or she first removes the decayed tooth material, cleans the affected area, and then fills the cavity cleaned with a filling material.
Since closing off the spaces from where bacteria can enter, a filling also helps prevent further decay. The materials used for dental fillings include a composite resin (fillings colour), a gold, porcelain, and an amalgam (an alloy of copper, silver, mercury, tin and often zinc).
What type of dental filling is the best?
No dental filling is good for everyone. What is right for you will be determined by the degree of the repair your tooth need if you’ve allergies to certain materials, where in the mouth you need to fill and the cost. Considerations for different materials include:
Gold fillings are made to order in a lab and then cemented in place. Gold inlays are well tolerated by gum tissues and can last for more than 20 years. For these reasons, many authorities consider gold as the best filler material. However, it is often the most expensive option and needs multiple visits.
Amalgam fillers (silver) are wear resistant and relatively inexpensive. However, due to its dark colour, they are more visible than porcelain or composite restorations and are not generally used in very visible areas, such as anterior teeth.
Composite resins (plastic) combine to be the same colour as the teeth and therefore used where a natural look is desired. The ingredients are mixed and placed straight into the cavity, where they solidify. Composite materials may not be the ideal material for large fillings, as they can turn over or use over time. They can also be stained with coffee, tea or tobacco, and last no more than other types of dental fillings usually three to 10 years.
Porcelain fillings are called inlays or onlays and are produced on demand in a laboratory and then attached to the tooth. They can be matched to the colour of the tooth and resist the stain. A porcelain restoration usually covers most of the tooth. Its cost is similar to gold.
If decay or a fracture has damaged a large portion of the tooth, a crown, or a cap, may be recommended. The decay that has reached the nerve can be treated in two ways: through root canal therapy (in which the nerve damaged by the nerve is removed) or through a procedure called pulp tamponade (which tries to keep alive the nerve).
What happens when you get a dental filling?
If your dentist elects to fill a cavity, he or she will first eradicate the decay and clean the affected area. The cleaned-out cavity will be filled with any of the variety of materials described above.
How do you know if you need a dental filling?
Only the dentist can identify if you have a cavity that needs to be filled. During a dental examination, the dentist will use a small mirror to inspect the surfaces of each tooth.
Anything that looks unusual is closely monitored by special instruments. Your dentist may also take x-rays of the entire mouth or just a section of it. The type of treatment that the dentist will choose will depend on the extent of the damage caused by decay.
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