Dental Fillings: Overview & Benefits

Taking care of your oral health is necessary to avoid damage and tooth decay. However, since most people avoid doing that, cavities in teeth are one of the most common oral issues nowadays. A dental filling helps to prevent further damage and restores the aesthetic appeal of your teeth.

This article will detail all about tooth filling, its benefits, steps, and aftercare procedure. But before that, it is important to know what dental filling is.

Dental filling or dental restoration uses artificial components such as metal, glass, plastic or similar materials to fill in the gaps or the holes in your decayed or broken tooth. This procedure repairs or restores the damaged teeth.

However, dental fillings also repair your broken teeth or those teeth that have worn out due to tooth grinding or nail biting. Now, let us see what the steps to fill your teeth are.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), almost 2 billion people worldwide experience dental issues due to untreated cavities. Therefore, they choose dental fillings to get rid of their decayed teeth. So, if your doctor has advised you to go for a dental filling, here are the following steps you might experience:

Step 1: Firstly, your dentist will inject local anaesthesia to numb the area around the enamel that has been damaged.

Step 2: Then, they will use an air abrasion tool or laser to completely remove the cavity and the decayed section.

Step 3: Your dentist will check thoroughly whether the decay removal process was successful and all decay has been removed.

Step 4: As your doctor effectively removes the decayed area, they will begin with the gap for filling. They will carefully clean the spaces of any debris or bacteria.

Step 5: If the decay is near the root of your teeth, your dentist will insert a composite resin or a glass ionomer component to protect the nerve endings in that area.

Post the filling, they will polish the enamel for a smoother finish.

If you require coloured fillings for your tooth, here are the additional steps:

Step 6: After removing the decay and cleaning the area completely, the composite component is put in layers.

Step 7: Then, your dentist applies a special light that hardens every layer they have put in.

Step 8: After this procedure, your dentist will shape the material accordingly and polish it to complete the look.

Dental fillings come in five types of materials. After carefully examining your teeth, your dentist suggests which one you require. So, here are the five types and their pros and cons:

1. Silver Amalgam Fillings

Most common tooth filling material, this procedure has a blend of minerals such as silver, zinc, copper and tin, which are 50%, and the rest 50% is mercury. Since it promises durability and is affordable, your dentist might suggest this procedure.

Pros

• A silver amalgam filling might last for almost 12 years.
• These fillings are less expensive than composite fillings.
• Easily fits into your cavity, and there is no fear that it might get contaminated by saliva.

Cons

• The surrounding tooth has an unusual hue and doesn't look pleasing.
• In this procedure, your doctor can need you to remove more teeth to create a wider space for filling.
• The material tends to expand and contract, resulting in cracks in your tooth.
• These changes create wider gaps between your tooth and the filling. Hence, bacteria and germs might trap inside, and new cavities might form again.
• Mercury can be unsafe for the body.

2. Gold Fillings

Gold filling procedure is not a very common procedure people choose these days. Moreover, these are composed of gold, copper and other alloys.

The pros and cons are:

Pros

• Since gold is sturdy, it doesn't corrode easily, resulting in your filling staying for more than 25 years.
• Some choose gold filling for the aesthetic appearance that it provides.

Cons

• It is very expensive and not an affordable procedure.

3. Composite Fillings

Composite fillings come in resin and plastic, and your doctor places them into the cavity as it is soft. Then he/she hardens the material using a special light.

Pros

• You can match the shade of your existing teeth with the composite material. Hence it is a popular choice too.
• In comparison to amalgams, doctors remove fewer teeth here to create a space for filling.
• It provides additional support to the adjacent teeth as well.

Cons

• They do not last for long, and you need to replace them every 10 years.
• It might cost more than amalgams and require additional visits to your dentist too.

4. Ceramic Fillings

Ceramic fillings are aesthetically pleasing and are made of porcelain.

Pros

• They come in the colour of your tooth, so you do not need to select a shade separately.
• Ceramic fillings are resistant to stains and abrasions.
• It lasts for more than 15 years.

Cons

• Ceramic fillings are more expensive than most of the other fillings.
• These fillings are brittle, and thus, they require more space for extra bulk to fit in.

5. Glass Ionomer Fillings

Glass ionomer fillings are acrylic fillings and are beneficial for children. It is a flexible paste dentists use to strengthen the seal between your tooth and its surroundings.

Pros

• They contain fluoride that prevents your tooth from decaying further.

Cons

• These are not as strong as the composite resins and might crack easily. They last for less than 5 years.

• This filling might not match your tooth colour like the composite resin.

Apart from all these dental fillings mentioned above, you also have an indirect filling procedure. Let's take a look into this as well.

Similar to composite fillings, you can also go for an indirect filling. However, indirect filling allows you to visit the dental laboratory twice or thrice before the procedure is completed. You can consider an indirect filling procedure when you do not have sufficient tooth structure to support a dental filling, your tooth has not decayed much, or it needs a dental crown. Two types of indirect fillings are:

• Inlays: Your dentist follows this process when the cavity is large enough to conduct a single filling. Inlays are cemented carefully on your tooth and come as a solid structure to fill the cavity area.

• Onlays: These are larger than inlays and are used to cover two cusps. Onlays are also known as partial crowns.

Additionally, inlays and onlays are durable and tend to last longer than traditional dental tooth fillings. They can come in gold, porcelain or composite resin material in your tooth colour. Well, some direct inlays and onlays follow similar processes as indirect ones.

The difference lies in the fact that direct inlays and onlays are prepared in dental laboratories, and you can have them placed in a single visit. However, before placing them, your doctor thoroughly checks your tooth structure and oral health to ensure a successful placement.

Cavity dental filling comes with a lot of benefits. They are:

• Prevents Growth of Cavity: As you decide to get a dental filling, your dentist carefully cleans the tooth that is on the verge of decaying. Then, he/she fills in the composite material sealing the gap. This procedure prevents exposure of the nerve endings of your tooth to high temperatures and bacteria inside your mouth. When you have cavities in your teeth, exposure to these sensitive nerves leads to severe toothaches.

• Strengthens Your Teeth: As you age, you become more prone to fractures, cracks, and chips in your teeth, leading to weaker dental structure. Additionally, your teeth can become brittle if you chew harder things. Dental fillings ensure the repair and restoration of the damaged tooth, enhancing your aesthetic appeal.

• Improves Your Tooth Structure: Composite tooth filling supports your tooth as they are not widened much. Therefore, this procedure enhances your tooth structure as no damage is done to the enamel.

• Improves Your Tooth Colour: If you have stains and discoloured teeth, you can use composite fillings that repair and remove these stains. Thus, you get a natural and bright tooth colour as the procedure effectively improves your tooth's colour.

• Prevents Your Teeth From Decaying: Sometimes, there are minor holes in your teeth which might not be cavities. But these gaps are enough to trap the food particles and bacteria, leading to tooth decay in future. Dental filling prevents your teeth from decaying as it seals these gaps efficiently.

You require immediate consultation with your dentist when your tooth is continuously decaying due to a cavity. Here are the reasons why cavities attack your teeth:

• Plaques: Plaques form when you eat sugar and starchy food and do not rinse or clean your mouth properly. Dental plaque is a sticky coating on your teeth; bacteria feed on them, forming plaques. As plaque stays for a long on your teeth, it hardens above your gum line into calculus or tartar, creating a shield for bacteria that destroys your teeth completely.
• Cavity Attacks: The acids in plaque tend to remove minerals from your enamel, causing tiny holes in it or cavities. As the enamel wears out, bacteria reach your dentin or the next teeth layer. Dentin is a soft layer and less resistant to plaque acid. Dentins directly connect with the sensitive nerves and cause sensitivity during cavity formation.
• Damage to Pulp: As decay continues further, the acid and the bacteria reach your pulp which has the blood vessels and nerves causing swelling and irritation. As there is no space for swelling to expand inside your tooth, the nerve compresses, causing a severe toothache.

After dental filling, it is necessary to follow the aftercare steps to maintain your teeth. Here are what you need to do:

• Visit your dentist twice a year to undergo cleaning.
• Be gentle on your tooth since it will be sore and sensitive after the procedure.
• Brush and floss regularly with toothpaste containing fluoride and a soft bristle toothbrush.
• Avoid consuming hard and sticky food or beverages as they may damage the new filling.
• Take the medications your doctor prescribes for faster recovery.

However, call your doctor immediately in case you notice:

• Your tooth is sensitive.
• You experience a sharp edge and discomfort.
• In case a section of the filling is missing, or there is a crack in the filling.