A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. When a dentist gives you a filling, he or she first removes the decayed tooth material, cleans the affected area and then fills the cleaned cavity with a filling material.
Filling helps prevent further decay by closing off spaces where bacteria can enter. There are a number of options available to restore the teeth include Silver Amalgam, Composite Resin (tooth-colored fillings) and Glass Ionomer.
No one type of filling is best for everyone. What’s right for you will be determined by the extent of the repair, whether you have allergies to certain materials, where in your mouth the filling is needed and the affordability of the patient.
Silver Amalgam fillings are resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive. However, due to their dark color, they are more noticeable than composite restorations and are not usually used in very visible areas, such as front teeth. Silver Amalgam is a time tested filling material.
Composite (plastic) resins are matched to be the same color as your teeth and therefore used where a natural appearance is desired. The ingredients are mixed and placed directly into the cavity, where they harden. Composites may not be the ideal material for large fillings as they may chip or wear over time. They can also become stained from coffee, tea or tobacco and do not last as long as other types of fillings generally from three to 10 years. Composite Resin restorations are the first choice of restorative material in aesthetic zone of your mouth.
Glass Ionomer filling are tooth colored filling material with a limited choice of shade matching with tooth. They are semi aesthetic fillings. Glass Ionomer fillings are the first choice of filling material when a tooth with cavity is later going to receive a crown on it after filling. Glass Ionomer fillings are also first choice in deciduous or milk teeth, in pediatric patients.
If your dentist decides to fill a cavity, he or she will first remove the decay and clean the affected area. The cleaned-out cavity will then be filled with any of the variety of restorative materials.
Only your dentist can detect whether you have a cavity that needs to be filled. During a checkup, your dentist will use a small mirror to examine the surfaces of each tooth. Anything that looks abnormal will then be closely checked with special instruments. Your dentist may also X-ray your entire mouth or a section of it. The type of treatment your dentist chooses will depend on the extent of damage caused by decay.
Assuming that your surrounding tooth remains healthy and the filling itself is not large, you can expect your filling to last for years, even decades: Silver amalgam fillings can last from 10 to 15 years before they need to be replaced. Composite fillings can last from 5 to 10 years.
During a filling you are unlikely to feel a thing. A filling does not happen in areas of the tooth where there are nerves.
Metal dental fillings do not harden immediately and often dentists will recommend waiting at least 24 hours following the dental filling before eating any solid foods. However, Composite resin filling are hardened immediately by a special curing light. This hardening will allow you to eat and drink immediately after the procedure.
Left untreated, it’s possible for a cavity to eventually reach your nerve, which would put you in some serious pain. Once a cavity reaches pulp or a root, it will necessitate a much large procedure, such as a root canal or an extraction. Both of those procedures are much more involved than your everyday cavity filling.
A dental filling is needed if you are in pain or you have an obvious cavity. However, if there is an early sign of decay but no cavity or pain felt, a dental filling is not necessary as the tooth can easily fix itself. Your dentist will recommend right treatment according to the extent of the decay.
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