When Should Tooth Fillings Be Done: Understanding the Importance and Timing

tooth fillings be done: understanding the importance and timing

Preventive dental care ensures our patients at Wolf Willow Orchid Dental in SE Calgary maintain optimal oral health. The most common dental treatments for damage resulting from decay or cavities are tooth fillings. Therefore, in this guide, we are going to discuss when to do a filling, symptoms that indicate you might require a filling, the types of fillings you can use, the procedure involved, and professional advice from our dental professionals.

Understanding Tooth Fillings

1. What are Tooth Fillings?

Tooth fillings are restorations of decayed tooth portions caused by cavities or cracks with the restoration of the shape, strength, and function of the tooth and prevention of further damage or decay.

2. Types of Tooth Fillings

Composite Fillings: Made of tooth-colored resin, which can be color-matched with patients’ teeth, creating an aesthetically friendly filler.

Amalgam Fillings: Consisted of a strong metallic amalgam (mercury combined with silver, tin, and copper), appropriate for filling molars and teeth subjected to heavy churning forces.

Ceramic Fillings: Made up of porcelain material, giving the filling toughness and appearance. The filling is very resistant to staining.

3. Warning Signs That You May Need a Tooth Filling

Sensitivity: sensitivity of the tooth to hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks.

Visible holes or pits on the enamel: Such holes appear as dark spots or holes on the tooth.

Pain and soreness: Pain and soreness in the region are sometimes reported when biting down or chewing.

4. Early Fillings Advantages

Save more structure: fillings prevent the decay in spreading and doing further destruction to the tooth structure.

Maintain function of teeth: to restore the natural form of the teeth for better mastication and pronunciation.

When Should Tooth Fillings Be Done?

1. Diagnosis of Cavities

Dental Check-up: Routine dental checkups detect cavities early enough, even when they are minimal.

X-rays: Diagnostic imaging enables identifying hidden cavities between the teeth or under existing dental fillings.

2. Early Intervention

Least Invasive: Fillings are the best when cavities are small, and the cavity has not grown close enough to the nerve of the tooth.

Preventive Measure: Early treatment avoids the advanced procedure needed to carry out a root canal or crown.

3. Signs of Tooth Decay

Sensitivity: Sensitivity to temperature or sweet foods could be one of the first symptoms as the decay has caught the tooth.

Visible Changes: Dark spots, pits, holes, on the surface of the affected tooth and these can easily be identified during one’s regular oral hygiene.

4. Professional Opinion from Wolf Willow Orchid Dental

Wolf Willow Orchid Dental, dentist in SE Calgary points out that our professional dental team believes much in prompt intervention of tooth decay. Therefore, we encourage routine exams and dental cleanings for the very purpose of an early diagnosis of cavities so that specific treatment options can be implemented according to your dental needs.

Types of Tooth Fillings and Procedure

1. Composite Fillings

Procedure: The rot portion of the tooth is removed and the composite material is bonded to the tooth surface in layers, hardened with a curing light.

Benefits: Aesthetics, directly bonds to the tooth structure, and requires minimal removal of the healthy tooth structure.

2. Amalgam Fillings

Procedure: The decayed portion is extracted, and the amalgam filling material is packed in the cavity, molded, and then allowed to set.

Benefits: Stronger than glass fillings, less prone to chipping or cracking by the biting forces and can be filled for a relatively cheaper cost.

3. Ceramic Fillings

Procedure: A handcrafted restoration was done in a dental lab using a digital impression of your tooth.

Advantages: Natural appearance and highly biocompatible, resistant to stains.

A dental filling is a measure employed in keeping dental wellness for the restoration and building up of teeth that were previously assaulted by decay. Wolf Willow Orchid Dental recommends patients make routine appointments for dental exams so cavities can be found before such treatments become necessary. Here at Wolf Willow Orchid Dental, we are constantly working to individualize our patient’s care and treatment so we can give you your healthiest smile.

You can contact our dental clinic near you, we will schedule a consultation so we can find out when to do tooth fillings. We are here to guide you to the possible dental problems and help you through this journey to optimal oral health. We look forward to hearing from you. Contact us at [email protected] or call 403-604-6845.

825-258-5437