Dental fillings help restore teeth’ normal function when caries damage them and prevent their further development. A filling is a procedure for correcting the shape of a tooth and its functionality with the help of special filling materials. The filling is placed at the site of the tooth defect and protects sensitive tissues from further destruction.
When choosing the optimal material for a dental filling, the dentist Aesthetic Dental considers the patient’s characteristics.
During the preliminary consultation, the dentist of Aesthetic Dental conducts a complete examination of the dentition, where he identifies the main areas of damage. In advanced cases, he may prescribe an X-ray of a separate tooth or an orthopantomogram to obtain a general picture of the condition of the dental canals.
Installation of a filling will help in the presence of caries of the middle and deep stages, loss of a previously installed filling, and tooth injury that does not affect the root part.
Filling is carried out in a planned manner when the patient plans to go to the doctor, as damage to him is detected or urgently – as a result of acute pain.
Aesthetic Dental doctors perform anesthesia without fail if the teeth are damaged deeper than the enamel level. To do this, they use injectable local anesthetics, which are injected into the problem tooth’s area. The start time of a standard injectable drug is 15-20 minutes from the moment of administration.
The treatment procedure does not require medical anesthesia if the damage extends only to the enamel. However, for people with hypersensitivity, as a rule, an exception is made.
The patient may choose general anesthesia or sedation in severe cases and with severe psychological instability.
The procedure for installing a seal is relatively simple, but it also requires a specific skill. The essence of the procedure is to clean the cavity of the affected area of the tooth and fill it with one of the filling materials.
At this stage, the doctor prepares the drugs by the purpose and type of filling. It can be either a temporary filling or a permanent filling composition. When installing a permanent filling, the paste, after hardening, is polished and polished to the level of a natural bite. As a result, the tooth acquires its shape and functionality.
With deep treatment, root canal filling deserves special attention. With high-quality work, the X-ray should show 100% filling of the entire cavity. This process can take several trips to the doctor and require the installation of a temporary filling.
Temporary fillings are installed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes for several days or weeks. They are used to preserve the tooth’s pulp, restore dentin, relieve inflammation, or eliminate the dental nerve with the help of special chemical compounds.
A permanent filling is placed with the expectation of long-term service. It is designed to fully restore the functionality of the tooth and its aesthetics, which is especially important for the front incisors.
Also, seals are divided into several types depending on the composition of the material, according to the method of hardening, at the place of use. The most important thing is the choice of filling material.
If the damage is small, the patient can forget about visiting the dentist when he leaves the dental office. However, if the carious lesion is deep, the tooth disturbed by the treatment may ache and even significantly hurt for some time.
Pain is indicative of the healing process. Typically, the treated tooth can hurt from several hours to 3 days after the installation of the filling. It should not be harsh and unbearable, so to combat the problem, taking painkillers as prescribed by a doctor is enough. Eating sparing warm, soft foods and herbal and soda rinses are recommended during this period.
Suppose the pain has not gone away after the agreed three days and analgesics do not help. In that case, the possible reasons lie in the poor-quality treatment of the affected tooth cavity, the wrong installation of the filling, and the wrong choice of material.
Separately, you can consider the sensations after the installation of temporary fillings. In this case, irritation can be caused by medicinal formulations laid down during their installation. It is recommended to consult a doctor to replace a temporary filling if the pain is not eliminated by prescribed analgesics or an inflammatory process is noticeable.
Aesthetic Dental specialists recommend that adults and children undergo professional teeth cleaning procedures at least twice a year. The dentist will also assist you in selecting toothpaste and teeth rinses according to individual indications.
Preventive measures are available to everyone. Do not forget about it; your smile will remain attractive for a long time.
Do not eat or drink, do not brush your teeth, or rinse your mouth for 2 hours after the filling. Suppose simultaneously with the filling installation, remineralization of the teeth was carried out, for example, applying fluoride varnish. In that case, refusing to eat, drink, and rinse for 3 hours is recommended.
The seal’s service life depends on the seal material’s composition, the characteristics of the particular case, and the specialist’s qualifications. Fillings are recommended to be changed on average once every five years. Some can serve for ten years. But even those made of durable, high-quality formulations require replacement after a while.
Without a filling, the tooth’s pulp remains covered with a thin layer of soft dentin. It will quickly collapse, and bacteria will get inside the tooth. Pulpitis will develop – inflammation of the soft tissues of the tooth, then periodontitis – the tissues around the tooth. It will hurt, and the treatment will be much more expensive than replacing the filling.
The answer will be unequivocal – a photopolymer filling.
The photopolymer filling is convenient and comfortable. It allows you to display the natural anatomy of the teeth as much as possible, so the bite will not change and the filled tooth will not interfere.
Photopolymer fillings do not differ from healthy areas of the tooth and guarantee a charming smile. Even under ultraviolet light, for example, in a disco, they will not vary from natural teeth.
Composite materials hermetically close the sensitive tissues of the tooth and serve for at least ten years.
Even in complex cases, when the tooth can be partially destroyed, photopolymer fillings can save it from the crown.
Cements are the most inexpensive materials. Cement for permanent teeth is used less and less for filling. Still, the content of fluoride ions in some formulations makes them relevant for protecting milk and permanent teeth from the recurrence of caries.
Metal fillings – amalgams – are alloys based on silver, copper, and mercury metals. These materials do not perform an aesthetic function and are used for filling only molars, but they are pretty wear-resistant and affordable.
Composite and photopolymer materials are the best choices for modern dentistry. Unlike amalgam material, they go well with natural fabrics. Unlike cement, they allow you to create reliable, durable fillings.
The pinnacle of filling materials is ceramic and compomer fillings – expensive but durable. They are non-toxic, do not destroy tissues, and do not require special care. They do not shrink and can completely merge with the tissues of the tooth without discoloration over time.
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