Dental Filling

Dental filling is a treatment to repair cracked or broken teeth, tooth decay or cavities; which are the permanently damaged parts on the surface of the teeth that can develop into small holes if they’re not taken care of at the beginning stages. Fortunately, this shouldn’t be a problem if you visit your dentist at least once or twice a year; since cavities can be reversed at the initial stages, by improving oral care, such as; daily brushing and flossing, fluorides, deep teeth cleaning or gum therapy.

However, cavities can occur by a number of factors including poor oral hygiene, unhealthy diet consisting of food high in sugar or acidic drinks, or stomach acid. Cavities are not contagious but they can be a great indicator that your oral health is not in a good condition and your other teeth might develop cavities if you don’t take action to improve your dental care and eating habits.

 

 

Tooth fillings is a procedure to restore natural appearance and function of a damaged tooth to prevent further decay. this treatment is needed when bacteria penetrates the tooth and infects the tooth. In this procedure the damaged part of a tooth is removed and the cavity is filled with replacement material. Dental fillings might need refilling after a while depending on your condition and the type of filling you choose.

For people who have soft enamel on their teeth, it’s more likely that bacterial infection penetrates the tooth.it takes the bacteria from six months to couple of year to create cavity, depending on the condition of oral health, and your diet, but it’s best to seek treatment as soon as you notice any symptoms. It’s also possible to replace dental filling multiple times without problem. But large fillings, _when the filling materials become more than natural tooth material_ weaken the tooth and it will no longer have the strength to support fillings. In this cases a crown or in severe cases root canal therapy might be needed to treat the damaged tooth.

Dental filling procedure

 How do dentists fix a cavity?

To fill a tooth, the dentist will numb the area around the teeth, and then remove the decayed part of the tooth. after the decay is removed, the cavity is cleaned and filled with temporary filling material to make sure the tooth is no longer infected and painful. your dentist might also use a liner (made of glass ionomer, and composite resin) to protect the nerve. then proceed to finish the procedure by putting in the filling and polishing it.

Tooth colored fillings are applied in layers, meaning your dentist with apply a thin layer of filling then use a special light to harden the layer and then apply the next layer until the cavity is filled. after this process is done. he or she will proceed to polish, trim and basically shape the composite material into final restoration.

 

There are several types of fillings and they each have their own pros and cons. the type of filling you can eventually choose, aside from the cost, your budget and insurance coverage, is based on the type of the damaged tooth and the extent of decay it had suffered which you should consult with your dentist.

4 Types of tooth filling materials

 

1. Silver amalgam fillings

What are the advantages and disadvantage of silver amalgam filling?

Silver amalgam, despite being the least expensive material for filling is still quite popular since it’s strong, sturdy, durable and can last up to 10-15 years. it’s a combination of sliver, zinc, copper and mercury. One of the disadvantages of this filling is its silver color; which isn’t aesthetically ideal for some people, besides the silver color might even change the color of the tooth to a grayish hue. Silver amalgam filling is also responsive to temperature. Meaning, it will contract or expand in temperature changes which can cause a gap between the filling and tooth, and might cause cavities itself or worse, create cracks or fractures in the tooth.

 

2. Composite fillings

Why should I choose composite filling?

 These fillings are made from plastic and resin and the color can be adjusted to match natural teeth color which makes them very popular among patients, especially in case of filling the front teeth. One of the other advantages of these fillings is that composite fillings are also used to repair chipped or broken teeth they bond with tooth structure and provide further support. But unfortunately these fillings don’t last long and will need replacement after 5 to 10 years, they cannot endure chewing pressure as well as silver amalgam fillings and as a result might chip the tooth. The procedure to fill the tooth with these fillings take longer, since they are applied in layers which is also the reason that they might require more visits.

3. Ceramic fillings

Why ceramic fillings are the best for your teeth

Ceramic fillings are made of porcelain material which makes them the best option for dental restoration. They are neutral to temperature; so there is no risk of them cracking your teeth. In fact, these are made from the same material often used to fill the chip or crack in the tooth. Ceramic fillings are biochemical; which means they can bond with the tooth, and unlike composite resin they don’t get stained. The great advantage of ceramic fillings is that they are tooth colored and cosmetically appealing and almost as durable as gold fillings. however, if these material are use in small portion they might be brittle. So it’s best to use this material in large cavities.

 

4. Glass ionomer fillings

What are the advantages of glass ionomer filing?

These fillings are usually used for temporary fillings, filling a cavity under gum line and baby teeth. These are not natural looking since they’re made of silicate glass powder. And compare to composite resin or ceramic they’re prone to fracture and wear, lack strength and they won’t last more than 5 years. But these fillings are a good option for baby teeth, and the fact that they release fluoride might be an extra incentive for dentists to suggest this filling.

Indirect Fillings

 While direct fillings can restore a minor damage in a single session, indirect fillings can treat more severe cases. These treatments are similar to direct fillings, with the exception that these fillings are made in dental laboratory and completing the treatment requires two visits.

In the first visit the old filling is removed and replaced with a temporary filling. Then an impression of the old filling is sent to the lab. The cavity is then filled with a temporary filling, which will be removed and replaced with the permanent filling during the second visit.

There are two types of indirect fillings

  • Inlays 

Dental inlays are a type of fillings that are used to fill the cavities inside the tooth (into the grooves, between the cusps) rather than outside edges of the tooth (cups).

  • Onlays 

These are the filling done on the outer edge of the tooth called cusps. compared to crown, onlays are preferred since they’re less expensive, and less of the natural structure of the tooth needs to be removed to place the onlays.

Inlays and onlays are much more durable than traditional fillings and can last up to 30 years. They’re made of tooth-colored ceramics. Onlays can also protect the tooth as they cover the top of the tooth and distributed the chewing forces around the tooth.