Oral fillings are one of the staples that we perform every single day at the clinic. It is always our goal to remove all of the bacteria and plaque that could have caused the cavity in the first place, fill the cavity, and remove any damaged enamel as well. To ensure this, we will often have to drill into the tooth to make sure that any enamel that has been compromised by the decay is removed, clean the inside of the cavity extremely thoroughly, and then fill the hole that is left using dental fillings.
Most patients are fairly knowledgeable about how a cavity forms. What many people do not realize is how important maintaining healthy teeth are, and that the teeth actually spend a lot of their time repairing themselves in a constant battle with plaque. Teeth use the naturally occurring minerals, calcium, and phosphate, which is found in saliva, along with water and fluoride to repair themselves.
The challenge is that after a while, with a constant barrage of acid-inducing foods, the plaque can overcome this natural defense mechanism, and the bacteria causes a small hole to appear in the enamel. When this happens people find themselves in need of oral fillings.
Getting oral fillings is as easy as visiting our office and letting us do all the work. While we are working to fill cavities on a day to day basis, the dental community is always working behind the scenes to make sure that patients have the best experience possible and to improve the quality of the repair work that we can offer. For example, it was not that long ago that most fillings were completed with metal, and made the filled teeth look like they constantly had something on them.
Today, we use filling materials that are the same color as natural teeth. We can fill cavities that are more visible without ever influencing the smile. These kinds of innovations are exactly what dental scientists work on behind the scenes. In 2012, the University of Maryland Dental School came up with a new filling system that is designed to do more than just fill the teeth. While it is still in testing, this new filling method will kill any residual bacteria in the cavity.
In addition to killing off any remaining bacteria, this new system is also supposed to be able to help the enamel to re-grow and regenerate the tissue that has been destroyed by the bacteria. By working towards solutions like this, we are always looking for the next innovation or invention that can make dental care easier. Our hope is that eventually when you get an oral filling, it will work to make your teeth stronger, and better able to resist any kind of infection or bacterial decay. For now, Dragonfly Dental of Port Charlotte will continue to provide you with durable and high-quality white dental fillings to restore your tooth structure.
Most people will experience at least one dental cavity in their lifetime. Fortunately, tooth-colored fillings can be used to treat tooth decay with natural-looking results. The care required for fillings is minimal; most people forget about them after a few weeks. However, choosing healthy lifestyle habits can help keep tooth-colored fillings in excellent shape, allowing…
Fillings are the most common treatment used for cavities. Composite fillings are a type of filling that may also sometimes be used for treating broken, cracked, or worn teeth.Filling a tooth is a multi-step process:1. The dentist numbs the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic.2. The dentist uses an air abrasion instrument, drill,…
Created with quartz or glass and using a resin medium, composite fillings are quickly becoming the go-to for many dental patients. The fillings restore functionality to broken teeth by allowing the patient to bite or chew without pain. In addition, because the fillings look like natural teeth, they may help with self-esteem in relation to…
Tooth colored fillings are used to fill in holes in the teeth caused by decay. Professionals mold the fillings out of composite resin. Once the dentist cleans the tooth's cavity, the dentist fills and closes off the hole with the filling. The fillings match a patient's natural teeth to ensure a normal-looking smile. Composite resin…