Everything You Need to Know About Dental Fillings

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everything you need to know about dental fillings

Dental fillings in Indian Land are used to repair teeth that have been affected by tooth decay or cracked due to injury. Getting a dental filling can help improve your chewing and biting function and even out the surface of your tooth. Many patients with tooth decay or cavities experience tooth sensitivity due to a loss of enamel, and dental fillings can alleviate this painful side effect. At Flourish Family & General Dentistry, we are happy to offer dental fillings near you to improve your oral health and restore your smile. If you have never had a dental filling before, you may be wondering how they work. Here is everything you need to know about dental fillings.

Types of Dental Fillings

As mentioned above, a dental filling is a form of restorative dentistry that is used to restore a tooth that has been damaged or decayed. There are many types of fillings available, but here are the most common:

  • Composite fillings- these are made of a tooth-colored composite resin material and can match the color of your natural tooth, blending in seamlessly with your smile. This makes these fillings an excellent choice for front teeth especially.
  • Amalgam fillings- these are one of the more common types of fillings and have been used for over a century. Also referred to as silver fillings, amalgam uses a mixture of silver, tin, and mercury to restore your tooth.

Some other options for filling materials include gold, ceramics, and ionomers. Each filling material comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks, as well as price points. Speak to your dentist in Indian Land to determine which filling material is best for your needs.

How Are Dental Fillings Placed?

When you visit our dental clinic for dental fillings, the process will begin with our dentist near you administering a local anesthetic to your tooth and surrounding tissues to ensure that you don’t feel any pain.

Next, our dentist will remove the damaged or decayed portion of your tooth and prepare it for the filling. Our dentist will disinfect the area using special tools before using the agreed-upon filling material to restore it, piling it on layer by layer. Finally, they will polish and adjust your tooth so that it fits naturally and comfortably in your bite, completing the process.

A typical dental filling takes about half an hour to complete. However, if you have a deeper or more complex cavity, then it may take our dentist longer to remove the decay. It is normal to experience a small amount of sensitivity and discomfort for a couple of days following your treatment. If you notice any significant pain, swelling, or discharge coming from the treated tooth, then you need to schedule a checkup with your dentist right away. This could indicate an infection, which must be treated promptly to avoid complications.

Visit Flourish Family & General Dentistry

If you are interested in learning more about dental fillings, or if you have any further questions or concerns about the dental filling process, please do not hesitate to reach out to our dedicated dental team at Flourish Family & General Dentistry. We are happy to provide our patients with dental fillings so that they can maintain optimal oral health for years to come. Please contact us to book an appointment today.