Dental Filling If you ever experience a cavity, receiving a dental filling will be the next course of action. Having a filling placed is important because it will protect the affected tooth from further damage. When you contact us here at Mukilteo Smiles, we will go over the entire filling process and what will be involved. The dentist will also educate you about how to take care of your teeth to prevent the need for future fillings. Once your appointment is done you will be happy to know that fillings are a very common process.Before a Filling is NeededDuring your dental exam, the dentist will take a look at your teeth and decide if the condition warrants a filling. If there are cavities present, then they will be cleaned out and prepped for a filling. As part of the preparation, the dentist will check to see if you are experiencing sensitivity and obtain X-rays to identify the cavities. As the Filling is taking placeAfter you have been prepped for the filling, the dentist will provide a local anesthetic for the affected tooth. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the tooth decay will be cleaned out. After removing the decay, the tooth will be shaped so that the filling can be applied to fit the tooth properly. For a bonded filling, an acid gel will be incorporated to help form a bonding surface on the tooth enamel. After shaping with the acid gel, the composite will be set on top to have the holes filled. The composite will then be bonded so that decay is prevented. Your dentist may decide to use a special bonding light to strengthen the bond and have the resin cured. This curing will also keep the composite nice and hard. You can expect the light to be used at least three times throughout the appointment. After your FillingAfter your filling is finished, you will receive your instructions for home care. You may experience be some different feelings surrounding the filling. These feelings are temporary, and you should not be worried about them. A good example of these sensitivities involves drink beverages that are hot or cold. If you do have any sensitivity, then it should pass within a week following your filling. Regardless, if pain is present after your filling, you need to be in contact with our dental office. This way you can get scheduled for an exam to see what's going on. At your appointment, we may decide to change the filling material. A new filling material may be the answer as the other filling may not have closed all of the gaps or made a perfect seal. If all else fails, your dentist may go ahead and desensitize your tooth. If a filling is needed and recommended by your dentist, then the dental professionals at Mukilteo Smiles have no problem handling your filling needs. We will have your cavity cleaned, prepped, and filled in one session. Call us today at (425) 438-2400 to schedule your filling appointment. |
 |
