Poor oral health care can sometimes have
serious consequence; one of them being tooth decay. When the tooth starts to
decay, there’s really no way to reverse the damage that has been done. Instead,
dentists try to fix the problem with a filling.
What
is a Dental Filling?
A dental filling restores the original
shape and function of your tooth after it has been damaged by decay.
This is a multi-step process whereby our
dentist will remove the decayed area of your tooth, clean it and then use a
filling material to fill the gap.
How
Can a Filling Help?
Apart from restoring the shape and
function of your decayed tooth, a dental filling can also prevent further
damage to the tooth. The risk of getting an infection is also reduced
drastically.
What
Are the Different Types of Filling Materials?
Filling materials come in all kinds of
variety. You can get a filling of your choice according to your budget.
Each material has its own strengths. Gold
is perhaps the most popular filling choice, but it comes with a heavy price.
Other materials that are used in this process include composite resin,
porcelain, and metal alloys of silver, copper, tin, mercury and more.
What
Type of Filling Should You Get?
Since every type of filling material is
unique, our dentists will let you know exactly what type of filling you should
get according to your individual dental status.
In general, gold fillings can last for over 20 years. They are inert, strong
and considered one of the best choices today. However, these fillings can be
quite costly, and they might require multiple visits to the dentist which adds
to the overall cost.
Composite
resin fillings are plastic fillings which are great
because they can match exactly to the colour of your natural teeth. This makes
them cosmetically favourable. These fillings aren’t ideal for large fillings
because they can chip away overtime.
Another popular option today is the porcelain fillings which are bonded to
the tooth, matched with the natural colour of the tooth and can be used for
larger fillings. However, they are also on the high-end side.
Metal fillings like silver are relatively cheaper and last for a decently long time.
However, their biggest drawback is that they are slightly darker in colour and
may not have the best cosmetic effect.
How
Do I Know I Need a Filling?
Our dentists at Wellness Dental Studio
will examine your teeth as part of a routine dental check-up. We make use of
tiny mirrors to see all angles and aspects of the teeth and promptly identify
any signs of decay.
If the decay is not obvious, an X-ray of
the mouth might be advised.
Once a tooth decay is confirmed, our
dentists will talk to you about your available treatment options including
filling.