Dental Fillings
Even when maintaining healthy oral habits like brushing and flossing, you may still need a dental filling to treat a cavity. Using a filling helps preserve and protect your original tooth structure and keep bacteria from getting into your tooth and causing further decay and infections.
What is a Dental Filling?
Dental fillings are a simple and effective solution for decay and cavities that develop from bacteria in your teeth. They are affordable and thanks to modern innovations in dentistry, are quite unnoticeable when compared to your natural teeth. If properly cared for and maintained, a dental filling can last for many years.
Why Do I Need a Dental Filling?
As your teeth develop and your mouth matures, it’s normal to see some wear and tear on your teeth. Even if you brush twice a day, floss and see your dentist regularly, bacteria can still build up on teeth in the form of plaque.
An excess of plaque then leads to tooth decay in the form of cavities, or holes that develop in your teeth. If left untreated, a cavity can become severely infected down to the soft tissues of a tooth. Other times a filling might be needed is when the enamel of the tooth has been eroded by acid or abrasion. In this case, we take pictures of the damaged teeth and discuss possible causes as well as decide if or when to repair the damage.
Cavities can happen to any patient at any age, and thankfully are very treatable with a simple tooth filling–when caught at the right time, of course. Examining your teeth for decay is a crucial part of preventative dentistry and standard hygiene appointments, so make sure you’re seeing Dr. Mamrick and our team at Ron Mamrick DDS.
What Happens During a Cavity Filling?
When treating a decayed tooth, our team will first apply a local anesthetic around your tooth to numb it, then remove the decayed and infected material from the inside of the cavity. If a patient does not desire to be numb or if Dr M feels like the treatment can be completed without pain we will work the patient to respect their decision – the patient is always in control.
We will deep clean and sanitize the inside of your tooth so the infection doesn’t spread further into your soft tissues beneath the hard dentin of your teeth.
From here, we will apply the filling and harden it with a special light. We have three different types of filling materials available at Ron Mamrick DDS. To properly align your teeth, we will also shape and mold the filling so your bite is normal.
The different types of filling materials include tooth colored fillings like resin and porcelain and metal amalgam. Fillers vary in composition and cost.
Porcelain/Zirconia restorations such as dental crowns or veneers, are manufactured by a dental laboratory. They are designed to match both the natural shape and color of a patient’s teeth. They are the least noticeable as a filling material and blend seamlessly in with your natural smile. They are made of the hardest material we have and will require two visits to complete.
The most popular type of filling–resin–is also the quickest to apply and the most affordable. Resin fillings only take one visit to complete and are also designed to match your natural teeth color.
Metal amalgam fillings are best for use at the gumline when bleeding and saliva cannot be controlled well. Amalgam applies easily to a tooth as a putty, but it hardens quickly. If a patient does not want the amalgam, we will work with them and advise on the best treatment options.
Need a Dental Filling in Midlothian?
Are you looking for cavity treatments near you? At Ron Mamrick DDS, we are pleased to serve the patients of Midlothian and the surrounding Richmond. We also offer emergency dentistry and urgent dental care for patients experiencing severe pain.
Call our office today for an appointment: (804) 423-1600.
