Tooth Fillings
At Victor Smiles, we are committed to helping your child maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. As part of our comprehensive dental care services, we offer tooth fillings, an effective treatment that protect and restore their teeth.
What Are Tooth Fillings?
Tooth fillings are used to repair and restore teeth that have been damaged by decay. When a cavity forms, it creates a small hole in the tooth that, if left untreated, can lead to pain, infection, or even tooth loss. A filling helps to fill this hole, restoring the tooth’s normal shape and function.
Our skilled dentists will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and fill it with a durable material, such as composite resin or amalgam. We use tooth-colored materials that blend seamlessly with your child’s natural teeth, ensuring their smile looks as good as it feels.
Benefits of Tooth Fillings
- Prevents Further Decay: Fillings stop the progression of decay, protecting the tooth from further damage.
- Restores Function: Your child will be able to bite and chew normally without pain or discomfort.
- Natural Appearance: Our tooth-colored fillings are matched to the shade of their natural teeth, providing an aesthetically pleasing result.
- Quick and Comfortable: The procedure is typically completed in a single visit, with minimal discomfort.
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How do cavity fillings work?
Cavity and tooth fillings are required because of the deterioration of holes left in the tooth due to tooth decay. Left unchecked, the decay will continue to spread and damage the tooth. During the filling procedure, dentists clean away the decay inside the cavity, usually with a drill to prevent further damage. But this doesn’t fix the damage that has already been created, so a filling is necessary. The intent of the filling is to replace the part of the tooth that is missing or destroyed by tooth decay. The dentist molds the filling to match the shape of the surrounding tooth, which restores the strength and integrity of the tooth and prevents further decay from happening.
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What types of filling materials are available?
There are several types of materials available that are used for fillings, which include gold, porcelain, silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc and copper), tooth-colored plastic and composite resin fillings. There is also a material that contains glass particles and is known as glass ionomer. This material is used in ways similar to the use of composite resin fillings. Which type is used depends on your dentist, the extent and location of your tooth decay, and sometimes, your insurance coverage.
More Questions?
If you have more questions about tooth fillings, please contact our office, request an appointment for your child, or explore the other pediatric dental services we provide using the links below.
