Where Can I Get Dental Filling Safely?
Given the two causes of tooth decay, it is not surprising that there is a high prevalence of this disease in the population.
If tooth decay is not treated early with a filling, it will destroy the tooth structure and a more complex procedure will be necessary.
What is Dental Filling?
A filling, whose technical name is “obturation”, is a treatment that is part of the specialty of Conservative Dentistry and is used to repair a damaged tooth. This procedure involves removing decay from the tooth so that the disease does not progress and affect the nerve of the tooth, resulting in endodontic or root canal treatment.
We will detail the steps involved in this process below
How is the filling done?
A Dental Filling is a simple and relatively quick treatment that takes about 40 to 50 minutes.
This is how we do it in our clinic:
1. Anesthesia
Before starting the procedure, the dentist will administer local anesthesia if necessary.
In other words, this technique is used when the decay is very advanced and affects the dentin, the deepest part of the tooth where the nerve endings are located.
2. Cleaning tooth decay
The dentist removes the decayed tissue from the tooth.
It removes the unhealthy part of the tooth, leaving a cavity that must then be filled.
You may be interested in ” What types of tooth decay are there?
3. Filling the gap
We usually use composites to fill the cavity left after cleaning the cavity.
After the dentist has finished filling the cavity, light is applied to harden the material.
4. Polishing and adjustment of occlusion
After performing the previous step, we polish the filling and perform a bite test.
In this way, we ensure that the aesthetic and functional result is optimal.
What is the best type of Dental Filling?
There are two types of dental fillings depending on the filling material used to fill the tooth:
Metal
The so-called metal dental fillings are silver amalgam fillings.
Their biggest advantage over other filling types is that they are very durable and last for an estimated 30 years.
However, this material has an aesthetically unpleasant disadvantage, as silver amalgam stands out too much against the natural white of the tooth.
Amalgam can therefore be said to have fallen out of use.
Resin or composite
Dental fillings made of resin or composite are the most commonly used today.
This is because this material has the advantage of being much more aesthetic than other metal-based materials. In other words, the composite mimics the original white color of the tooth. However, its main disadvantage is that it is less durable.
With this in mind, it is best for the patient to maintain good oral hygiene at home and visit the dentist at least once a year. This way, the dentist will be able to check the old filling and replace it if they notice deterioration. As a final note on materials, gold has also been widely used for fillings for many years. Although it is very durable and resistant, it is no longer used because it is very expensive and its color is not similar to the color of the teeth.
Acid etching technique
Acid etching is a filling technique in which the tooth structure is acid-etched before the plastic filling material is applied to the cavity. This etching process creates an expanded surface. With the optical resolution of a powerful microscope, the whitish color of the tooth will show a typical etching pattern. Such patterns can be compared to the surface of honeycombs. After the etching process, the teeth become dull.
Enamel gluing
Bonding is the technology of bonding plastic-based filling materials (composites, compomers) to the enamel and/or dentin surface. The materials are bonded to the tooth (adhesive bonding). Possible applications are the closure of very small fissures or fillings in molar or upper incisor spaces.
Slow-flow sealing plastic is used to seal cracks and small gaps. The slow-flowing plastic penetrates the microstructure created in the tooth.
Do dental fillings hurt?
Depending on the depth of the tooth decay we need to treat, i.e. whether it affects the dentin, it is sometimes necessary to apply local anesthesia. This technique prevents the patient from feeling pain during the procedure. If the decay does not affect the dentin, local anesthesia is not applied.
If we do not administer anesthesia, the patient may feel a slight discomfort during the procedure, but this will be very bearable. On the other hand, it is also possible that after the dental filling, the patient may feel sensitivity when eating very cold or hot food and even when brushing their teeth. This sensation may persist for 3 or 4 days.
However, if the sensitivity, which should always be temporary, does not disappear after a week, it is necessary to visit the dentist who performed the treatment again. This way, he or she will be able to examine the filling and determine whether there is a problem.
While price is an important factor, we recommend that you also consider other factors such as the dentist’s expertise, the technique used and the guarantee offered.
How much does a Dental Filling cost?
As with any other dental treatment, price is a factor to be considered. However, it is advisable to make this assessment taking into account other equally important factors. Approximately, we can immediately tell you what dental fillings cost today if you get in touch.
Once we have an approximate idea of the cost of a dental filling, it is necessary to evaluate a number of factors to decide which clinic to perform the treatment in.
Where to Have a Dental Filling?
Guaranteed and aesthetic result
It is important that the composite used is of high quality and that the professional has a wide range of colors. This guarantees greater durability, prevents fillings from falling out and ensures high aesthetics, as the color of the composite resembles the original white of the tooth.
Techniques Used
Although filling may seem like a relatively simple procedure, it is advisable to follow a series of care and precautions. In this way, we significantly increase the chances of success and promote the safety of the procedure. At this point, we consider it necessary to isolate the tooth.
This process, which requires isolating the surface we are working on, has two main benefits. On the one hand, we prevent the patient from swallowing the instruments or materials used. On the other hand, we prevent contact with saliva. Because if there is such contact, the filling will not be fixed due to moisture.
Specialization
The specialization of the treating dentist with an official master’s degree guarantees a broader and more qualified knowledge in their field.
In other words, a more specific training than the general training in dental studies.
Private commitment
In other words, you can find much more than treatments performed by a general dentist who performs all dental treatments at our clinic.
Accessibility
For example, if you are having problems with your treatment or if you want the center you visit to be your reference dental clinic, these are factors to consider.
After detailing all the elements that we believe are important, we advise you to value the price, but not to give it the highest value. We advise you to gather as much information as possible from the clinic and the dentists working there, and also to evaluate the elements we have just mentioned one by one.
Many people think that filling is relatively simple and can be done by any professional. However, without experience or proper techniques, this procedure can lead to serious oral health complications.
Examples of such complications are irreversible pulpitis (inflammation of the tooth pulp) or poor cleaning of tooth decay, allowing it to progress further and reach the nerve. In both cases, the solution will be endodontics, which is a more complex, longer and more expensive treatment than Dental Filling.
