Your precious smile depends on a variety of factors, everything from genetics to good daily oral hygiene, to coming in for regular dental cleanings and exams and limiting your intake of sugary, starchy foods. Yet even with all this care, our pearly whites sometimes develop dental caries.
Dental caries, or cavities, are holes in your tooth that arise from bacterial plaque which creates acid. This acid erosion damages tooth enamel and the dentin layer beneath it. Cavities can develop on the top of teeth (or biting surface), between the teeth and on the root surface of the teeth. And even when decay is removed by your dentist, the hole still remains behind.
As dentists, our job is to restore your tooth back to its normal function. We do this by filling the hole in your tooth with a filling material that will keep your tooth healthy. Dental restorations, or dental fillings, can come in a variety of materials–dental amalgam, cast gold, composite resin, porcelain, and more. At Sonshine Family Dental, we offer two filling options: silver fillings (amalgams) and tooth-colored fillings (composites). We can help you decide which is better for your situation. What can you expect when you come in for a filling?
We will begin by numbing the area surrounding the tooth. Next we will cut through the tooth enamel and clean out all decay. Once the decay is completely removed, we shape the area to be filled with the filling material. If we are applying a bonded filling, we will etch the tooth with acid gel to prepare the tooth for the filling. Once the filling has been placed we will finish the restoration procedure by polishing your tooth. Now your tooth will be as good as new!
Filling a cavity is the best way to get a tooth with cavities back up and running again. And if you feel pain when you chew, or have a tooth that is sensitive to hot and cold, or you have a toothache that isn’t getting better, you may have a cavity that can benefit from a restoration.
To come and have your tooth checked out by our caring dentist, DR., just reach out to our Sonshine Family Dental team in Avon, Indiana at 317-271-1330 today!