Dental Fillings in Farmington
The most common form of tooth damage that almost every person will experience once in their lifetime is a cavity. A cavity is a hole that develops in a tooth due to dental decay. Cavities arise when the hard outer layer of the tooth, called the enamel, is worn down or eroded by acids in the mouth. Cavities (sometimes called dental caries) can affect everyone. You can avoid cavities with proper brushing, flossing, and dental cleanings . Our goal is to help diagnose cavities as early as possible to prevent them from spreading and infecting more of the tooth. We do this by staying up to date with your routine visits to our office for cleanings and examinations. When a dental professional diagnoses a cavity, the main course of recommended treatment is dental fillings.
The Filling Process
The first step to getting a dental filling is to get the cavity diagnosed and to set up an appointment for your treatment. Upon arriving at the office for your filling, the first step will be to numb the tooth and its surrounding tissues. Depending on the location of the cavity and its severity will determine how much numbing the area will need. It will take around 10-30 minutes to become thoroughly numbed.
Next, we will isolate the tooth and remove the cavity through a dental drill. Removing the cavity will more than likely expose the inner portions of the tooth, leaving the tooth more susceptible to decay. That’s why we need to fill it right away.
Once we have eliminated all of the infected portions of the tooth, we will begin the filling process. We sterilize the tooth and prime the area to accept the filling material. After the site has been cleaned and prepped, we will place composite resin material into the tooth. We pack the material into the hole from where we removed the cavity. The filling material is composite resin, which means that the material is tooth-colored. We will match the color of the material to the color of your natural teeth. Once we place the material, we will harden it through a curing light.
It is essential to shape the tooth back to its original anatomy when filling a tooth. Using shaping and fining dental drills, we will shape the tooth back to how it was. Before you leave our office, your tooth will start to regain feeling.
Benefits of Composite Resin Material Fillings
There are other types of filling materials that have been used to restore a patient’s teeth after a cavity. One of the most common fillings that have been used in the past and still today are amalgam fillings or silver fillings. Although amalgam is strong and will restore your tooth, the appearance is what turns people away.
Composite fillings have all of the strength benefits that amalgam fillings do, but they are more sought after because we can match them to the color of your natural smile. Upon needing a filling, the composite material will match your smile.
Some patients may feel self-conscious about needing a tooth restoration and don’t want the restoration standing out and drawing unwanted attention. When patients take advantage of tooth-colored fillings, they can maintain a single-colored smile.
Call Station Park Dental
Dental fillings are a quick and easy restorative procedure to remove cavities and restore teeth to their original health and glory. We are passionate about our patients having healthy and beautiful smiles, so we want to help in any way we can. Please give our office a call to learn more about fillings and how they can restore your teeth after decay.