Don’t Let Cavities Damage Your Teeth: Get Dental Fillings to Hinder Their Progress
When you let tooth decay progress, unhindered cavities develop on your teeth eventually. Detecting cavities by yourself is challenging but is comfortably accomplished by the dentist in Peabody, MA, during routine exams and cleanings. Dentists look for dark spots on your teeth and, if required, request x-rays to detect the extent of the damage caused by the bacteria. After confirming a cavity exists on your teeth, dentists recommend dental fillings to hinder the progress of the bacteria from creating even more damage.
You may think a cavity on your tooth is not a significant problem until you hear from the dentist that the bacteria will eventually infect your dental pulp, making you susceptible to receiving root canal treatments. The dentist recommends getting dental fillings in Peabody, MA, promptly if you want to avoid intensive treatments costing a significant sum later.
How Long Does It Take to Get Dental Fillings?
Getting dental fillings is a simplistic system after your dentist inspects your mouth with dental devices to check the cavity. You will receive local anesthesia to numb the area around the affected tooth to prevent pain during decay removal. However, if you need a filling on the surface, you do not require anesthetics because the composite filling helps dentists complete the procedure.
The dentist requires under an hour to complete dental fillings unless you need a large filling or multiple fillings, which may take more time. The time required to get fillers also depends on the materials used during the procedure.
Composite resin material layered into your tooth requires more time but is completed in one visit. However, if you need inlays or Onlays created from composite and made from impressions of your teeth, you require a second visit. Composite filling materials also help as teeth gap fillings requiring no anesthesia during the bonding process.
Replacing an existing filling requires the same time as the original filling or more if the existing filling needs drilling out before the insertion of new material.
How Intensive Is the Dental Filling Procedure?
The dental filling procedure is pretty standard and is merely a repair job to fix the damages caused by tooth decay. The process is painless after you receive anesthesia and requires about 60 minutes.
After the area around the tooth is numb dental drills help dentists drill through the tooth enamel to remove the decay within. After decay removal, the dentist sterilizes the area and prepares it for filling with the material you have chosen or selected for the purpose. For example, if you get a front tooth cavity filling, the dentist will likely recommend tooth-colored fillings to maintain aesthetics.
If you are receiving a permanent tooth filling on a molar, you will likely receive a recommendation for silver amalgam fillings renowned for their durability and affordable prices.
Different Types of Filling Materials You Can Choose
Premier Family Dentistry will discuss different types of dental filling materials helpful for filling cavities. The most common options and widely used include silver amalgam fillings, tooth-colored fillings, gold fillings, porcelain fillings, and glass ionomer fillings. Before you decide on any particular variety, discuss with your dentist whether the filling material is suitable for your specific situation. Remember, you aren’t getting a temporary tooth filling to tide over the discovery made by the dentist, hoping the cavity will heal by itself. Therefore it helps if you choose the dental filling material recommended by the dentist as the most suitable for your needs.
Dentists will not hesitate to let you have gold fillings on your front teeth so long as you aren’t bothered with your appearance and are happy to display the fillings in your teeth. However, you may regret spending money on the fillers sooner rather than later when you consider how it impacts your appearance adversely. Therefore you must adhere to your dentist’s recommendations to ensure you seal the cavity for good.
How Much Time Do You Need to Recover from the Dental Filling Procedure?
Dental fillings heal quickly without causing any problems. Your tooth may experience some sensitivity after the anesthesia wears off, but it subsides within 24 to 36 hours. Metal fillings require more time to heal than composite resins. You can keep your dentist informed if you have long-lasting pain or sensitivity or your bite feels different. In such cases, the dentist will adjust the filling surface to improve your bite.
Dental fillings are pretty standard, and the procedure isn’t unduly painful. With proper dental hygiene and regular dental exams and cleaning , you can expect your fillings to remain in your mouth for many years.