One common dental procedure that you may need to get when you visit the dentist is a filling. This is often a simple procedure that the dentist is able to do in-office that day, but as the patient, you may wonder what the different reasons are that the dentist is recommending this procedure to you. Some of the different reasons why you may need to get a filling at your next dental visit includes:
Cavities
One of the biggest reasons why you may need to get a filling is because you have a cavity in the tooth. However, not all cavities are going to need these fillings. It is possible that the dentist will choose to just watch the cavity and see whether it is going to repair itself. If it does do this, then you will not need the filling at all.
Keep in mind that you should only let the cavity remain unfilled if it is recommended by the dentist. Putting off dental work that is necessary can make the costs go up and may even complicate your dental health. In many cases, the dentist will take a look at the cavity and then recommend getting a filling to ensure the cavity does not cause any more damage.
Tooth Fracture
Many times, it is possible to repair some of the fractured teeth with a white composite filling material. The dentist will be able to use some of the material that is part of the filling and place it into the part of the tooth that has been fractured. This will help improve the look of the tooth, and the whole smile as a result, and will make it less likely that something else will get into the cracks as well. The filling is going to do a great job of covering up the issue of the teeth so they look natural and normal in the mouth.
Slow Loss of Tooth Structure
If you do happen to fracture your tooth, you are going to potentially lose a lot of the tooth structure quickly. There are other ways that this loss can happen, such as attrition, erosion, abfraction, and abrasion. But when that happens, you need to work with your dentist to do some work on the tooth to help protect it or it could ruin the whole look of the smile.
The best way to help prevent the loss of tooth structure is to avoid any acidic candy, acidic drinks, and grinding your teeth. You should also be careful about using your teeth as tools each day. And when there is some loss to the structure of the tooth, make sure that you visit your dentist and see whether a filling will be able to help here.
Discoloration of the Tooth
Another reason that your dentist may recommend that you do a filling in the tooth is to help if your teeth are getting really discolored. There are a lot of reasons that your teeth are going to become discolored and most people will just be careful or will use something like a whitening toothpaste or a whitening treatment to help them take care of the teeth and improve the coloring.
However, sometimes this is not enough and the look of the teeth is not that great. When that happens, your dentist may work with you to see whether adding in a filling over the tooth is going to make a difference in improving the coloring. If this is used, it can brighten up the teeth and help them look better than ever before.
Replacing Old Fillings
While the fillings that are placed on your teeth are meant to last a long time and provide you with a good deal of protection, there are times when they will get old and no longer do some of the work that you would like. It is possible that some of your old fillings will need to be replaced over time.
As time goes one, the white filling can start to discolor a bit and the bond between the filling and the tooth is going to start breaking down on you. In some cases, silver fillings can also fracture, especially if they have been in your mouth a long time. When this happens, the dentist may need to go back through the teeth and replace the filling to make it look as good as new and to provide some protection to the teeth.
Getting a Filling
For the most part, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to getting a filling put into your teeth. It can easily be molded into place and once it hardens, it will stay there for a long time. You will be able to get it done easily in the dentist’s office without a lot of worries and it will match the natural color of your teeth so it is not easy to see. In some cases, a silver filling will be used, but that is often reserved for some of the back teeth and can be less expensive.
If you are worried about getting a filling in place, then it is important to discuss this issue with your dentist. They can help to explain some of the procedures that need to be done and will answer your questions and any concerns that you have as well. Once you have been able to answer your questions and can see how simple these fillings will be, it will make a lot of sense to get them done to provide some protection to your teeth.
There are many different dental procedures that you can get on your teeth to help improve the look and feel of your teeth and smile. Whether you need a filling or something else done, it is important to find a dentist you can know and trust to get the work done for you. Our team at Bridgewater Family Dental are here to help. We understand how important the health of your teeth can be and want to work with you to provide the best dental solutions, no matter what your personalized treatment plan will be. Trust our team to work with you throughout all your years to provide the very best in dental health.