It’s time for your dental visit. Low and behold your dentist finds that you have a cavity. You dread the news because that means you need the tooth decay removed and a filling. According to a survey nearly 75% of adults experience some kind of dental fear, and because of this many skip the visit making the tooth decay worse. Many adults have this fear because they do not know what will happen in this procedure. This article will help you understand what happens when you get a cavity and need a filling.
First, what causes a cavity? About 500 - 700 different types of bacteria live in our mouths. Before you go running to your toothbrush, this is completely normal. The bacteria in our mouths aren’t all bad. For example, Streptococcus salivarius helps fight off bad breath. Unfortunately our mouths have bad bacteria that have a permanent residence on our teeth as well. Every time we eat (foods high in sugar especially) we are also feeding bacteria. After they eat, they produce an acid that eats away at our teeth little by little. Eventually, the bacteria cause a hole to be formed on a tooth. Unlike other bones in the body, this hole is unable to repair itself. This is known as tooth decay or a cavity. If your dentist catches this early, you can get a simple procedure called a “Cavity Filling”. Cavity fillings are one of the most common procedures dentists do and are really nothing to fear.
The procedure begins with your dentist giving you a local anesthetic. Most people are afraid of this step because it involves a needle. Prior to giving you the shot though, a gel like substance will be rubbed on your gums where the shot will be. This substance has a numbing like effect on the surface of your gums and the surrounding area. Because of it, the shot will virtually be painless. A minute or two after the shot, the anesthetic will kick in and block the pain signals from your tooth to the brain. Next, your dentist will remove the tooth decay using a dental drill. The drill emits water while removing parts of your tooth that have tooth decay. A dental assistant will also be there to hold a tool that sucks the water from your mouth. Because of the anesthetic, this should be painless.
Now you’re ready for a filling. There are different types of fillings. Here they are according to Crest:
Amalgam Fillings: Amalgam has been used by dental professionals for more than a century; it is the most researched material used for filling cavities. Amalgam fillings are strong and are therefore ideal for filling cavities in the back of the mouth such as in the molars, where chewing takes place. Since they are made of a combination of several metallic elements, amalgam fillings can be noticeable when you laugh or smile. These fillings are among the least expensive of all cavity-filling materials.
Composite Fillings: Sometimes referred to as composites or filled resins, these fillings feature a combination of glass or quartz filler and can be made to match the color of your tooth. Composite fillings are also fairly durable and are ideal for small-to-mid-size restorations in areas of your mouth that perform moderate chewing.
Metals: Gold or silver amalgam are the most common metals used for a cavity filling. Gold fillings can cost as much as 10 times more than silver amalgam fillings, but some people prefer the appearance of gold to silver fillings if they want the durability of metal vs. a less-durable composite material. Some people don’t like the appearance of metal fillings, but metal fillings can last as long as 10-15 years before they need to be replaced.
Ceramic: A ceramic cavity filling (usually made of porcelain) is tooth-colored, and it may be less likely to show tooth stains over time than a composite cavity filling. But price is a factor—a ceramic filling can be nearly as expensive as a gold cavity filling.
Glass Ionomer: This blend of acrylic and glass is used to create a cavity filling that releases fluoride to help protect teeth. But a glass ionomer cavity filling is less durable than other types, and may need to be replaced in as little as five years.
After this step, your dentist will check to see if your filling is too high. If it is, your dentist will smoothen it out. Finally, you’re finished and hopefully the procedure goes as well as you’d expected. If you’re in the Northridge area, Perfect Smiles with Dr. Barizo will happily examine your teeth and help pick the best type of filling with you. Click here to set up an appointment with us!