Almost everyone requires at least one dental filling in their lifetime. If you haven't had one yet then keep up the good work!
As the name suggests, a filling fills a small hole in the enamel of a tooth called cavity. The filling helps to protect the inside of the tooth, which is much softer. A small filling cost as little as $100 but this is an excellent investment. Without the protective layer, you probably end up with a much bigger hole in your tooth and your back pocket.
Inlays and Onlays
If the hole in your tooth becomes too large to be filled with a regular filling, then your tooth may require a larger type of filling called and inlay or onlay. An inlay is used to fill channels that run between the cusps of your teeth while an onlay sits on tops of the cusps of your teeth.
Both inlays and onlays provide extra protection for the tooth while allowing you to keep most of the structure of your natural tooth.
If the top of your tooth is severely decayed but he base of your tooth is still healthy, then your dentist will recommend a crown. The Dental Residence is one of the few places that has the technology to make same-day crowns. You can learn more about crowns here.
What to Expect On Your Visit
Dental fillings, inlays and onlays are common procedures that our dentists perform almost every day. They are usually painless and can sometimes even be completed within your regular 6-monthly checkup depending on the number and complexity. As always, sedation is an option for anxious patients.
On your visit, your dentist will usually have a recent X-ray of your mouth and have performed an oral assessment. Your dental professional will then clean the site of the cavity of any bacterial buildup and will roughen the surface of the tooth so that the new filling can take hold.
Your dentist will then fill the hole with our advanced dental materials that are designed to look and feel like your natural tooth. The filling material sets very quickly so that the dentist can begin shaping and polishing to filling to ensure that your tooth is perfectly restored.
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