What to Expect from Dental Fillings Procedure?
Dental fillings help treat tooth decay inhibiting further damage and tooth loss. Dental fillings seal a hole or cavity in your tooth. Getting dental fillings near me may seem uncomfortable, but you will likely not experience severe discomfort. However, if you are fear getting the fillers, discuss your anxiety with your dentist.
This article describes filling materials, details the procedure and the costs, and when to contact your dentist.
What Can You Expect When Getting Dental Fillings?
Getting a dental filling is generally an in-office procedure. Children and patients with severe dental anxiety receive sedation or even general anesthesia from the dentist treating them. Patients needing preparation before the process will receive information from their dentist beforehand.
Dentists complete the dental filling procedure within the hour by initially applying a numbing gel over the gums. After the gel takes effect, the dentist injects local anesthesia into the gums. When the area around the tooth is numb, the dentist drills the tooth using a dental drill or specialized tools for decay removal. After decay removal, the dentist fills the hole in the tooth. Finally, the dentist polishes the filling and adjusts it to ensure the patient’s bite doesn’t feel abnormal.
Which Filling Material Can You Have in Your Tooth?
There are different types of dental fillings made from silver amalgam, composite resin, gold, glass ionomer, and the ceramic you can consider as materials for the fillings. However, not all dental fillings are suitable for every tooth in your mouth. Therefore it helps if you seek advice from your dentist on the material best suited for the cavity in your tooth.
For example, if you have a cavity in the anterior region of your mouth, you undoubtedly wouldn’t want the incredibly durable and affordable silver amalgam fillings because they impact your aesthetic appearance. Instead, you will prefer composite resin or ceramic fillers despite their higher costs to ensure your appearance is not affected. Dentists also think similarly and will likely not offer you filling materials unsuitable for a specific tooth in your mouth. Instead, they consider the location of the cavity, the extent of the damage, your budget, and insurance coverage before recommending any specific dental filling material for your teeth.
The different materials for dental fillings described earlier are suitable to fill all your teeth. Unfortunately, you may not desire the ungainly appearance they will have in your mouth and choose tooth-colored fillings for your front teeth. Gold and silver amalgam fillings last for over 15-20 years. They are incredibly durable. In addition, both metals are suitable for your molars, where biting stresses are the most eminent. Unfortunately, gold fillings are expensive and require at least two visits to the dentist before you can have them. Silver amalgam, the affordable variety incredibly durable, is provided by dentists in one stop.
Composite resin fillings last approximately 5-7 years and are aesthetically pleasing. However, they require replacement. Suppose you prefer composite fillings on your molar. In that case, dentists don’t mind providing them so long as you know dental fillings cost because tooth-colored fillings cost more than silver amalgam while having one-third of their lifespan. Therefore if you don’t mind the extra expenditure, dentists are happy to provide a filling material of your choice in the tooth affected.
How to Care for the Fillings during Your Recovery?
Dentists recommend not eating or drinking anything until the numbing medication wears off. The precautions are to prevent you from accidentally biting your tongue or the insides of your cheeks. In addition, you may experience some soreness and pain after getting dental fillings. However, the discomfort is natural and subsides after a few days. Meanwhile, you can have over-the-counter medications for relief.
If you experience sensitivity to temperatures after getting dental fillings, it might result from nerve irritation or inflammation because of the drilling. The sensitivity improves with time. Unfortunately, if it worsens, contact the dentist.
How Much Do Dental Fillings Cost?
The cost of fillings will depend on the location of the cavity, the extent of damage, and the material. Suppose you want more information on dental fillings, including their cost. Why not schedule an appointment with Dr. Dharmendra Panasuriya of Perfect Dental, providing fillings of all types to restore your damaged teeth?