What is a Cavity Filling?

You should expect to be at your dentist's office for around an hour. This gives him or her enough time to take x-rays if needed, talk to you about the procedure and complete the dental work. Before filling cavities, your dentist will numb your teeth, gums and surrounding skin to avoid and lessen discomfort during the procedure. Next, he or she will drill out the decay in the tooth and replace it with a filling. This process only takes a few minutes.

There are various types of fillings available including:

1. Composite Fillings –These are resin based aesthetic materials that are bonded onto the tooth surface after tooth decay has been removed. This material provides a conservative approach to a tooth restoration. These fillings can be shaded to match the color of a person’s existing teeth. As more People want natural looking smile, composite filling has become increasingly popular. Composites are material of choice for anterior teeth or visible part of teeth. We can use them for posterior teeth also.

2. Amalgam Fillings –Amalgam fillings are made up of an alloy of silver and mercury. Thus it doesn’t match with color of your teeth. It is however not the material of choice because of increasing aesthetic demand.

3. Ceramic Fillings – Ceramic fillings are made of porcelain and are tooth colored, so they look natural. Ceramic fillings are more brittle than composite resin and can break but they are also more resistant to staining. Ceramic fillings are expensive.

4. Glass Ionomer – Glass Ionomer fillings are made up of acrylic and fluoroalumino silicate- a component of glass. This material is most commonly used as a temporary filling, for fillings below gum line and fillings in young children. Glass Ionomer filling releases fluoride which helps to protect the tooth from further decay. However, this material is weaker than composite and more susceptible to wear and fracture.