Dental fillings – a treatment procedure, during which cleansed carious cavities are filled with fillings; the shape and direction of the teeth are restored.
Dental fillings are necessary:
- When a carious cavity forms in the tooth because of caries;
- When dental tissue wears down, and there is a need to recreate the lost height and restore anatomy;
- If there are dated or poor quality old restorative fillings;
- To change the shape and direction of teeth during the aesthetic filling.
How the procedure of dental fillings is performed:
- Anesthesia is applied locally;
- Caries-damaged tissues are removed;
- The field of filling is isolated with cofferdam;
- The cavity is sealed with filling materials
- Tooth polishing is performed.
If caries had damaged too much of hard tissues of the tooth, then such a defect is better eliminated with the help of micro prosthodontics, because the filling may not be able to withstand the chewing load, and the tooth could splinter off.
Things to know about caries and its treatment
Dental caries is one of the most common dental diseases, the consequence of which is thinning and decaying hard tissues of the tooth. This process starts when bacteria in the plaque while decomposing the carbohydrates contained in the food, secretes acids that “wash out” ions of calcium.
Dental enamel and dentine are lesioned if the acidic environment is predominant in the mouth regularly or for a more extended period.
When caries occurs, does a person feel it?
When the dental lesion is superficial or of medium size, the patient may have the sensitivity of teeth to sweet foods or thermal irritants. However, sometimes such lesions do not cause any discomfort to a person.
When the dental lesion is deep, the tooth becomes not only sensitive; food gets stuck in a formed cavity; also, intense pain could occur in such a tooth, or it can even splinter off. If not treated timely, dental caries leads to complications, and sometimes even to the loss of the tooth.
If caries/decay damages the tooth down to neural – vascular tissues, then root canal treatment is needed already.
How will a patient feel after the dental filling procedure? Do any complications occur?
Usually, after filling, once the anesthesia wears off, no discomfort is felt. In rare cases, the sensitivity of tooth occurring after the filling can continue from 24 hours to several weeks or longer. If the cavity was very deep and the tooth nerve was close, in rare cases, its inflammation might start after filling, and root canal treatment might be necessary. In all cases, if the unpleasant sensations don’t go away, it is required to see your doctor odontologist.
Tests for caries detection
Most often, it is enough to have an examination conducted by doctor odontologist, and sometimes it is necessary to have a few dental radiographies.