At Excel Dental Care, we are committed to helping you establish a solid dental routine that fosters a genuine love for maintaining your oral health rather than avoiding it.
Dental decay occurs when acid affects the tooth surface, often as a result of sugar consumption. Failure to properly clean the tooth surface can lead to the accumulation of bacteria in the form of plaque. Frequent sugar intake throughout the day can gradually lead to the formation of cavities in your teeth. If dental cavities do develop, we can effectively restore the damaged tooth surface with dental fillings.
Our dental fillings come in various materials, and our aim is to place the most durable and effective restoration in your mouth. In some cases, interim fillings may be placed between regular dental visits or during emergency appointments to provide comfort until your next visit.
Fillings can be applied directly to your tooth during your appointment, or they may be fabricated in a laboratory and subsequently cemented in place at a later visit, known as inlays or onlays.
At Excel Dental Care, we commonly use two main filling materials: amalgam (traditional silver filling) and composite resin (cosmetic tooth-colored fillings).
Here’s how the filling process typically works:
- We will discuss which type of filling is appropriate for your situation and ensure your comfort throughout the procedure.
- We will numb the tooth and surrounding gum with an anesthetic to ensure your treatment is as painless as possible.
- We will remove the decayed tooth surface or any previous fillings and clean the tooth thoroughly.
- For a metal filling, the material is placed and shaped in the affected area. We typically advise avoiding chewing on the treated tooth for the remainder of the day to allow it to fully strengthen before subjecting it to force.
- For a composite filling, the tooth is prepared, and an adhesive is applied to facilitate the bonding of the filling to the tooth. The filling material is then layered onto the tooth to achieve the desired shape and size. A blue light is used to immediately set the material, so there’s no need to wait all day before using the tooth for chewing—just wait until the numbness wears off!
