Dealing with a cavity? Find out how a dental filling can rebuild your smile.
When it comes to decay, the best way to restore a tooth after treating a cavity is with a dental filling. A dental filling is one of the most commonly placed dental restorations. In fact, most people will deal with a cavity at some point during their lifetime. So, how are dental fillings placed by our Windsor Locks, CT, general dentist Dr. Thomas Yanik, and how do they work? Let’s find out.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
These fillings are made from composite resin, a material that mimics the color of real tooth enamel. Composite resin comes in different shades, which allows our Windsor Locks, CT, general dentist to be able to choose the shade of composite resin that most closely matches the tooth.
Tooth-colored fillings aren’t just meant for repairing cavities. They can also be placed over a tooth to hide minor imperfections such as discolorations, chips, unevenness, and even small gaps between teeth. Placing a tooth-colored filling is easy. The material is putty-like, which makes it easy to mold and shape over the tooth.
We will apply the resin in thin layers over the cavity. With each layer, we will shape it and then harden it into place using a special curing light. Once the layer is hardened we will then apply the next layer until the tooth is fully restored.
Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
As you might imagine, getting a white filling has its advantages over other dental filling options. First and foremost, it blends right in with the tooth so no one will even be able to tell that you had a cavity.
Since this type of dental filling is bonded right to the enamel, this makes this type of filling very strong and resistant to normal wear and tear. With the proper care, tooth-colored fillings can last more than 5 years before needing to be replaced. Luckily, caring for your filled tooth is simple. Just make sure that you brush and floss regularly and practice good oral hygiene and your filling will remain intact and stain-free.
Whether you have questions about getting a dental filling or you just need to schedule your upcoming cleaning to make sure that your teeth are healthy, call your general dentist at Yanik Dental in Windsor Locks, CT, today to schedule your next appointment or to answer your dental questions.