Guide on Choosing the Right Dental Filling for Teeth
In spite of immense advancements in dentistry, dental decay remains the primary dental ailment in most American children and adults. If you leave tooth decay untreated, you are inviting more serious dental issues including dental abscesses and permanent loss of teeth. It is advisable to visit the dentist at regular intervals, preferably once every 6 months to ensure that you have a healthy oral cavity.
What are Dental Fillings?
Dental fillings are the dental restorative method to restore the lost vitality, strength, integrity, and functionality of teeth. Dental fillings can fill a small hole in the teeth caused by cavities. It can also strengthen a weakened tooth, or provide support to chipped or cracked teeth. A dentist in Dublin, CA would remove a small portion of the enamel and place the filling.
Dental fillings find applications to restore the shape and provide stability to a chipped or broken tooth. Dental fillings are used to cover up the loss of enamel caused by cavities or dental trauma. An eroded tooth can also be restored with dental fillings.
What to Expect During Dental Filling Procedure?
The dental filling starts with a thorough oral examination by the dentist to get a clear idea about the state of the oral cavity. X-rays or 3D images can be taken to identify the level of decay that needs to be filled.
Once the dentist has a basic idea, he would go for deep cleaning to get rid of the debris and affected parts of the teeth. In some cases, this step might be performed under sedation dentistry where the dentist would numb the area with local anesthesia and use a drill, a laser, or an air abrasion instrument to remove the debris. The dentist chooses the instrument depending on the comfort level of the patient, the extent of decay, and his training.
Once the debris is removed, the dentist would probe the affected area to ensure that all the decayed materials have been removed effectively. the decayed area is disinfected from bacteria and filled in with the dental filling. The dentist ensures that the decay is not near the root of the teeth. In such a case, the dentist places a liner made from glass ionomer to ensure that the dental filling does not affect the nerve or underlying capillaries.
Choosing the Right Dental Filling for Your Teeth
While getting dental fillings near you, it is better to consult the dentist to guide you on the material of filling. The state of your cavity, the budget, and the position of the teeth play a vital role in deciding the dental filling that is right for you. Your past medical history also plays a decisive role. Metallic allergies imply you cannot opt for metal fillings.
Opting for better aesthetic value lets you choose ceramic or porcelain fillings. Teeth sensitivity ensures that you cannot go with silver amalgam fillings. However, gold cast fillings have the best longevity and can last up to 15 years.
Composite fillings ensure that you can get teeth-colored fillings and can get unnoticed. With higher aesthetic value, composite fillings have the tendency to break when subjected to pressure. Grinding of teeth can crack composite or ceramic fillings.
When you go for the expenditure, gold cast fillings are the costliest. Although gold cast fillings are durable and long-lasting, the high cost and poor aesthetic value can reduce the chances of opting for gold fillings.
Glass ionomer fillings are best-suited for children. These fillings are also used when dental fillings are needed for below the gumline. Glass ionomers release fluoride that is a good option for children to protect their teeth from cavities. The cost of glass ionomer fillings resembles that of composite resins and can last 5 years or less.
Choosing the Dentist
When you look for dental fillings in Dublin, you should consult a dental professional with adequate knowledge in dental fillings. You may book an appointment with View Mobile Dental. We offer mobile dentistry and teledentistry to receive expert dental advice from the comfort of your home. Our experienced dentists have spent years providing top-notch care to patients from all backgrounds. We maintain strict safety protocols and rigorous sanitation to guard against COVID.