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What Material is Used for Teeth Gap Filling?
Dental fillings Houston is a restorative dentistry procedure mainly used to treat dental cavities. The process involves removing the decayed part of your tooth, cleaning the affected part, and inserting cosmetic dental filling materials so that your tooth can feel better. However, cosmetic teeth gap filling can also be used to fix a broken tooth, cracked tooth, or worn-down tooth by grinding, clenching, nail-biting, or any other misuse.
Do you have a broken or cracked tooth or you are suffering from dental cavities? Your emergency dentist may recommend cosmetic teeth gap filling procedure for you. But it is important that you know the basic steps involve in dental filling materials Houston. This will help you to know what to expect and would also relieve you of unnecessary stress during the procedure. The following is a summary of the steps involved in teeth gap filling Houston:
When you consult your dentist for cavity filling Houston, he or she will check to confirm if the cavity filling Houston is the appropriate treatment for your dental condition. If your dental condition requires cavity filling, then your dentist would commence the process by numbing the affected area with a local anesthetic. The procedure can cause a level of discomfort so numbing the area makes you comfortable.
Your dentist would remove the decayed tooth material with an air abrasion instrument, dental drill, laser, or any other suitable instrument. The right tool for the removal will be determined by the extent of the dental cavity, the location of the cavity, the level of training of the cosmetic dentist, and the comfort level of the patient, etc.
Once the decayed tooth material has been completely removed from the tooth, the affected tooth part would be thoroughly cleaned of both debris and bacteria. To protect the tooth nerves against damage, a liner of glass ionomer, composite resin, or any other dental material is used. Finally, the cleaned area is filled with the appropriate filling materials and cured. The filled material is then polished by your dentist to the required shade.
Types of Dental Filling Materials
Nowadays, there are various types of dental filling materials available. Some of these materials include porcelain fillings, gold fillings, composite fillings, silver amalgam fillings, ceramics fillings, and glass ionomer, etc. The type of dental filling material for your dental case would be determined by your choice, the extent and location of the cavity, the cost of the filling material, and your dentist’s recommendation, etc.
Gold Dental Filling
This type of dental filling is very durable and can last for more than 15 years. It is considered a highly recommended filling material as it doesn’t corrode and can withstand chewing pressure. A gold dental filling is also more attractive and more preferred than a silver filling. However, it is more expensive than other filling materials and requires more dental visits.
Silver Dental Filling
This filling material is the next durable dental filling materials after gold and can last for about 15 years. A silver filling can also withstand chewing pressure and is less expensive than composite fillings. The major downside of silver dental filling is that it doesn’t match the natural teeth color. Another downside is that it requires the removal of a large area of the healthy area of your tooth to create enough space for the filling.
Tooth-colored Composites Filling
This type of filling is the most preferred type of filling material because it has shades that can easily match the color of the natural tooth. Composite materials are recommended for conspicuous parts of the teeth, usually the front teeth. Composite fillings are not as durable as the gold and silver fillings and can last only between 4 to 5 years or more with high maintenance. Composite fillings are expensive and can chip or break off your tooth.
What Are Indirect Fillings?
These are also a type of dental fillings in Houston. They are similar to the tooth-colored composite fillings. However, the major difference is that indirect fillings are produced in the dental lab.
The indirect filling procedure requires at least two dental visits to be completed. Indirect fillings are usually used in cases where the patient does not have adequate tooth structure to provide support for the dental filling and when the tooth is not badly damaged to the extent where a dental crown is necessary.
During the first dental visit, the dental decay or old cosmetic fillings teeth Houston would be removed before an impression of the tooth is taken. This impression is taken to the dental lab to fabricate the indirect filling. While the filling is being produced, a temporary dental filling in Houston would be used for the teeth gap filling in Houston before the next dental visit. During the second dental visit, the temporary dental filling Houston would be removed before the indirect filling is permanently placed. There are two types of indirect fillings, which are inlays fillings and Onlays fillings. Onlays can last for more than 30 years.
Care for Your Dental Fillings Houston
To ensure that your dental fillings in Houston last longer, you must properly manage them by following acceptable oral hygiene practices. Aside from brushing and flossing at least twice daily, regular visits to your dentist for professional dental cleaning and checkup should not be ignored. This will help your dentist to monitor the progress of your dental treatment and proffer necessary solutions to any dental issue that may arise after your dental treatment.
Problems with Cosmetic Fillings Teeth Houston
There are some problems associated with dental fillings in Houston and some of them are highlighted below:
Tooth Sensitivity: This is the most common dental issue after any dental treatment or procedure. Tooth sensitivity immediately after dental filling Houston procedure is normal and should subside after a few weeks. During this period, try as much as possible to avoid diets like extremely hot or cold foods and drinks that can trigger tooth sensitivity. More so, avoid anything that can put too much pressure on the treated area. However, if the tooth sensitivity persists after three to four weeks, get in touch with your dentist as soon as possible.
Tooth Pain:
Normally, you should experience slight tooth pain for a few hours after the procedure. The pain should go away after the procedure if you carefully follow your dentist’s prescriptions and advice. However, if the tooth pain persists for a few days or weeks after the treatment, you should see your dentist immediately as the pain may be caused by dental complications
Deteriorating Dental Fillings: This is usually caused by persistent pressure from teeth grinding, clenching, hard biting or chewing, etc. All these can cause your dental fillings Houston to crack, chip, or wear away. Sometimes, it may be difficult to detect deteriorating dental fillings and only a dentist would be able to detect that through a thorough dental checkup. Hence, it is recommended that you should regularly visit your dentist near me after your dental filling treatment.