Yes, you read that right, your source of Vancouver dental care has just defended cavity fillings. We understand why that you might villainize cavity fillings, after all, they are one of the most uncomfortable procedures that you could possibly find yourself coming to visit us for, but hey — they are incredibly important. Like most dental services (unless we are talking about cosmetic dentistry), fillings for cavities are a preventative treatment — well, preventing your tooth from further damages, that is.
In today’s blog post, your source of Vancouver dental care, Hazel Dell Dental Care will be discussing the topic of cavity fillings further, in an effort for you to better understand how necessary this dental service is.
Before We Dive Into Fillings, What Is A Cavity?
Most people picture cavities to be little holes in your teeth that expose the bottom layer of your tooth, below the enamel. While that is not incorrect, it might be a little exaggerated. Instead, cavities are much more general and simply refer to the isolated decay of your enamel on any particular tooth. A filling for a cavity is simply a “plug” that covers the exposed part of the tooth once the dead, and decaying, part of the tooth is scraped out.
How Do You Know If You Have A Cavity?
Cavities can only be diagnosed by a Vancouver dental care provider, but there is one symptom that is a telltale sign that you might have a cavity — toothaches. One of the best ways to determine that you might need to come to visit us for a cavity filling is that you are beginning to experience frequent toothaches. If you do have a cavity, it is likely that your teeth will be extremely sensitive — especially after eating or drinking something very hot or very cold.
What Are Fillings Made Of?
Typically, fillings are made out of three different materials. The material that you end up having can depend on a number of factors ranging from your dental insurance coverage, the amount of money that you are willing to spend and most importantly, the location of your cavity. If the cavity is located towards the back of your mouth on one of your molars, you might be fine using the colorful gold, or silver alloy, but if the cavity is located towards the front of your mouth you might want to consider a less attention-grabbing cavity filling. For cavities that are towards the front of your mouth, we usually advise that our clients use a porcelain or composite resin. Resins are more likely to blend in with your teeth, becoming unnoticeable to others.
How Are Fillings Administered?
Ahh, this is the part that people hate most — getting the filling. If your cavity is minor you should not be worried about getting a cavity filling, in fact, most fillings go rather smoothly. The first thing that your Vancouver dental care provider will do is clean the tooth extremely well to make sure that most, if not all, of the bad bacteria, has been removed from the tooth. Next, your dentist will gently apply a drill to your tooth, drilling out the decayed portion of the tooth. Once this has been completed, it is all smooth sailing! After the tooth has been prepped, you will have your cavity filled, and then buffed to ensure that there are no abnormalities with the filling.
Don’t Let Your Tooth Decay More! Let Us Fix It
Look, we know that getting a cavity filling is less than ideal, but it could be worse. If a majority of your tooth decays, we will have to give you a crown, so let’s do our best to avoid that. Schedule an appointment online, or come to visit us today to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Kelstrom for as cleaning and cavity check.
We look forward to seeing your smile!
