Restorations and Fillings Repair Damaged Teeth in Mequon, WI
Composite restorations, commonly known as “fillings,” help restore and strengthen damaged teeth that have succumbed to decay, trauma or wear.
Composite restorations, commonly known as “fillings,” help restore and strengthen damaged teeth that have succumbed to decay, trauma or wear.
This video illustrates how a composite filling restores a damaged or decayed tooth to its natural strength and appearance.
Sometimes you have to take the bad news with the good – and the last time you visited your Mequon dentist, there were both. The bad news is you have a cavity, but the good news is East Towne Dental Associates offers tooth-colored fillings! Tooth-colored fillings offer the advantage of bonding to the remaining tooth structure. This bond makes a tooth-colored filling far less likely to cause tooth cracking or allow leakage around the filling
Though every patient would love to receive a clean bill of health each time they visit their dentist, widespread consumption of sugary foods and drinks, along with other causes of tooth decay, make cavities (also known as dental caries) unavoidable for most of us.
Professional teeth restorations — commonly known as getting a filling — are a relatively simple and painless dental procedure that helps patients regain tooth integrity and maintain good oral health.
Unlike dental sealants, which are used to fill deep nooks and crannies in healthy teeth to prevent food from becoming trapped and causing the erosion of tooth enamel, fillings are used to fill cavities — essentially holes in your teeth — that result from tooth decay. The filling restores the tooth’s structure and full function. Depending on the material used, a filling can look just like the rest of your natural tooth.
Types of filling include:
If you require a filling, your dentist will recommend the type of filling best suited to your situation.
Most cavities are detected in an early stage through x-rays, which are conducted on a regular basis at dental checkups. However, if you are experiencing the following symptoms, you may have a cavity:
Cavities don’t always have visible symptoms. This is why it’s important to see a dentist every six months for teeth cleanings. Your dentist can detect early signs of cavities before they cause more damage to your tooth.
To receive a composite filling, the area around the tooth will first be numbed. Then the tooth is prepared by removing the decayed portion, leaving a small area that will be filled with the composite.
After a deep cleaning to remove debris, a special bonding agent is applied to the prepared area. A special curing light is then used to secure the bonding agent.
Your dentist then applies the composite material to the prepared area in layers, shaping the material to match the contours of your tooth’s surface. The curing light is used to set each layer of the composite, hardening it to withstand the forces of opposing teeth.
As a final step, your dentist will polish the composite filling to smoothen it and give it a similar sheen to the rest of your tooth.
Once completed, your tooth is free of decay and restored to its natural strength and appearance.
Your filling can last for many years if you maintain proper brushing and flossing. Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once a day or after every meal. You should also visit your dentist every six months for dental cleaning.
It’s always best to catch a cavity in an early stage. If you are experiencing symptoms of a cavity, or if it’s been six months since your last check-up, contact us today to schedule an appointment.