Dental Restorations / Tooth fillings

Why do you need a Tooth Filling?

Dental fillings are used to restore teeth and treat tooth decay. You need a filling when tooth decay has caused a hole (cavity) to form on a tooth surface. If you don't get a filling, the cavity will get worse and lead to more severe problems, such as bone loss. You also may need restorative work if your tooth cracks or has somehow broken.

Which Type of Filling is Best

No one type of filling is best for everyone. We will help you choose by looking at the extent of the repair, whether you have allergies to certain materials, where in your mouth the filling is needed, and the cost. The possible materials include:

• Gold fillings
• Amalgam (silver) fillings
• Composite (plastic) resins are
• Porcelain fillings 

Some people should not get amalgam fillings including pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and people with kidney disease

What happens at your visit?

In order to perform a filling, the dentist will

• Numb your teeth, gums, tongue, and surrounding area. Your dentist will first put a substance that feels like jelly directly on the area to start the numbing process, and then inject an anesthetic to complete it.
• The Dentist then will remove all the decay, clean, and replace it with a filling.

What to expect after the procedure

• Following a procedure in which the lip or cheek are numb, be careful not to chew or eat on the affected side. When you leave the office, your filling is hardened to about
  90%. Please avoid chewing on very hard foods for the next 24 hours while the fillings harden fully.
• You can eat and drink normally right after the appointment, being careful not to bite your numb lip, cheek or tongue.
• Sensitivity to hot and cold is not uncommon if the decay or preparation was deep or close to the nerve. Sensitivity only lasts for a short time after the cold is introduced and does not linger. It is not uncommon for this minor sensitivity to last for up to 4 weeks.
• Pain might be experienced due to muscle tightness or tenderness following operative procedures, especially at the site of the injection.