Dental Fillings: A Complete Guide

Dental fillings are a common treatment to cavities found in teeth. Get your teeth in top shape by finding a local dentist you can trust in Cicero, IL.

Why Do Cavities Happen in the First Place?

Cavities have everything to do with certain strains of bacteria that live in your mouth. These bacteria love to consume food particles that stick to your teeth, especially those that are rich with sugar. When the bacteria start to consume these food particles, they will start to produce acid as a byproduct.

This acid isn't strong enough to cause you any pain, but it is still strong enough to cause damage to your teeth. In particular, the acid will spread across your tooth enamel and start to eat away at it. Keep in mind that tooth enamel is one of the strongest tissues in the human body and even it is susceptible to damage. 

If you don't take your oral hygiene seriously, this acid problem will slowly get worse until your teeth start to decay. The first sign of this is tooth sensitivity. As your tooth enamel wears down, it will no longer be able to protect the nerves inside your teeth.

As a result, it will become uncomfortable to consume hot or cold substances. Without comprehensive dental care, this decay will continue until cavities start to form.

The Process of Cavity Formation

Cavities start out as little white dots on your teeth. 

The problem is that not many people even know that they have cavities at first because they don't cause pain until they are much more developed. Cavities progress from white dots to brown or black dots until a hole finally forms. This hole will continue to dive deeper into the tooth until it reaches the more sensitive dental tissues such as the pulp. 



The pulp is full of blood vessels and nerves. Once the cavity gets that deep, you will start to feel discomfort and sensitivity in that tooth. It is better to catch a cavity sooner rather than later, because it is easier to treat a cavity that is not yet well developed. 

Understanding Dental Fillings

When you go to your local dentist to get your cavity treated, you will need to get a dental filling. Before you get your dental filling, your dentist will first need to deal with the cavity itself. He will do this by drilling into the cavity with a special drill.

While this may sound like a scary procedure, it is actually nothing to be afraid of. The dentist will provide you with a local anesthetic that will numb the area that is going to be treated. That way, as the dentist drills into the cavity, you shouldn't feel anything except a bit of pressure. 

The aim is to drill away the decayed tooth enamel that makes up the cavity. Once that's done, there will be a clean hole in your tooth. Of course, this hole needs filling, otherwise, bacteria could fester in that area and continue to break down the tooth. 



There are many dental fillings to choose from such as gold, silver amalgam, porcelain, composite resin, and so on. Some are sturdier than others and some are more affordable than others. The aim of a dental filling is to protect the hole in your tooth and to restore functionality to your tooth.

Different Types of Dental Fillings

Metal fillings are very durable, but they may not be best for those who don't want to draw attention to their teeth. Gold fillings are particularly expensive for obvious reasons, but they can be good for molars since gold fillings will never crack. They are not great for filling cavities in a person's front teeth because they will be very visible.

Silver amalgam fillings are also very visible. They may also turn the surrounding tooth enamel gray if you have the fillings for a long time. Porcelain fillings are very popular because they are both very durable and natural in appearance. 

Porcelain fillings are designed to match the color of your teeth. This is ideal if you need to have your front teeth filled and don't want the fillings to be noticeable. The only problem with porcelain fillings is that they tend to be on the more expensive side. 

If you can't afford porcelain fillings, composite resin fillings are a great alternative. They also can match the color of your teeth and they are much more affordable than porcelain dental fillings. However, composite resin fillings are not as durable as other types. 



For that reason, the composite resin may end up cracking after a few years. As a result, you may need to end up getting new fillings.

Everything You Need to Know About Dental Fillings

When it comes to dental fillings, there are many options you can choose from. Metal fillings are very durable but they are not ideal if you don't want to draw unwanted attention to your teeth. Porcelain and composite resin fillings, on the other hand, can match your tooth color perfectly. 



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