Fillings
The vast majority of us have developed at least one cavity by the time we reach adulthood. This is simply because even the best oral hygiene routine is imperfect. Thankfully, when you visit us on a regular basis (twice a year is recommended), most cavities can be caught very early. This enables us to do fillings, which fill the cavity quickly and save the structural integrity of your tooth. Fioritto Dental strives to provide a pain-free and stress-free dental experience. Identifying and filling a small cavity is a relatively fast procedure. You’ll be in and out of the office before you know it!
What Exactly Is a Cavity Filling?
A cavity filling is a material that is used to fill an area left by decay (cavity) in the tooth, as the name suggests. Tooth decay creates a hole in the tooth. The size and depth of cavities are variable since every patient and every tooth is different.
When you arrive at our office, we will take an x-ray(s) of the area(s) in question to determine the size and depth of decay. To ensure our patients are comfortable and pain-free, we numb the area we will work on and then proceed to remove the decay from your tooth. Subsequently, we cannot leave the area exposed since this will invite bacteria and debris into the open space, leading to more decay. Instead, we fill the now decay-free area with a material that seals the tooth to keep it healthy.
Dental Filling Options
Fioritto Dental offers several dental filling material options:
- Composite resin
- Porcelain-like materials
- Gold
- Silver amalgam
Silver amalgam is a viable option for back molars (teeth in the back of your mouth). It is silver in color but withstands the force of biting and chewing. This material is very effective for filling large cavities.
Another metallic option is gold. Some people like the look of a gold filling in the front of the mouth, while others only prefer to use this metal in the back molars. Gold is softer than amalgam, but is also an effective metal to use for a filling.
Amalgam and gold are not ideal compounds for the front teeth since they are highly noticeable. Instead, we opt for a composite resin material. This composite material is white in color and can be altered to blend in almost seamlessly with the color of your natural teeth. Composite fillings can go anywhere in the mouth where a filling is required. Porcelain-like materials are another option that blend seamlessly with your teeth. They are usually used when restoring larger portions of a tooth.
We invite you to reach out to us at Fioritto Family Dental today to schedule a consultation or dental appointment.
We strive to make your experience positive and minimize any dental anxiety!