Fillings are a very common type of dental restoration, usually used when a tooth has suffered from some decay which has then caused a cavity – or caries – to form. Designed to quite literally ‘fill in’ the hole that has formed, fillings can repair a tooth to full function again, as well as remove any of the symptoms that a patient might be suffering from.
Not all patients experience these symptoms, and if you attend regular check-ups with us here, we may well diagnose the need for a filling before you have to experience any pain or discomfort at all.
Fillings are usually made of either a metal amalgam material or composite material. Metal amalgam fillings are the traditional type of filling that leaves behind a dark silvery appearance in the mouth, while composite fillings are tooth-coloured and fit in much more naturally with the rest of the teeth.
White composite fillings fulfil the exact same function as metal amalgam fillings, although their application is slightly different as they are bonded to the tooth. This actually helps to leave the natural tooth stronger and better protected and can help maintain the long-term health of the filled-in tooth. They are also much more natural looking, which is another reason for their popularity.
Fillings are usually applied in just one, relatively short, appointment. A local anaesthetic is applied before undergoing the treatment, so you won’t feel a thing, and then we’ll clean and disinfect the tooth, removing any decayed parts. We’ll then apply the filling – if applying a composite filling, we’ll apply a special gel so that it adheres to the tooth and then cure it under a special light so that it sets in place properly.
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