What are dental fillings?
When you have a cavity in your tooth, it means there is a hole in the centre of that tooth. These holes are bad for several reasons.
Cavities can lead to increased tooth sensitivity, nerve exposure, and even severe pain. If left untreated, they can cause significant tooth damage, potentially requiring more invasive treatments like root canals.
Dental fillings stop further damage, strengthen the tooth, and restore your oral health.
Your dentist will suggest the best option for your teeth - it usually depends on the placement of the tooth that needs a filling - and you can decide on the best filling material together.
Fillings can be made from amalgam, composite resin, gold, or porcelain, with your dentist recommending the best material for your specific case based on the location and function of the tooth. Cavities can also weaken the tooth itself, which can lead to further chipping, cracks, and damage.
For these reasons, the hole will need to be cleaned and filled with a ‘filling’ to avoid pain, discomfort, and further damage to the tooth and your overall oral health. These fillings are usually made from a material called ‘amalgam’, but can also be made from composite resin or porcelain.
How are dental fillings applied?
Even if you think you have a cavity, your dentist will still want to book a check-up to inspect and confirm the issue. They will then book a second appointment to have the filling done.
Here is what to expect during your dental filling appointment:
- Numbing the area: A local anaesthetic will be applied to the area around the affected tooth.
- Decay removal: The dentist will carefully remove the decayed material from the tooth.
- Filling the cavity: The cavity is then filled with the chosen material, which could be composite resin or amalgam.
- Shaping the tooth: The dentist will shape and polish the filling, ensuring it feels natural when biting down.
- Post-treatment care: Your mouth will remain numb for a few hours post-treatment, and you may experience mild tenderness for a day.
Schedule your consultation with 818 Dental Armadale online or call our team with any questions you may have.
The benefits of dental fillings
Early signs of tooth decay
During routine appointments, dentists will check for tooth decay with a visual inspection and x-ray scans. They may discover tooth decay during this process.
However, for many people, the first signs of decay are found at home. Tooth decay often causes discomfort and pain, leading to an appointment with the dentist.
These are some of the signs that you've got tooth decay:
- Sensitivity when you eat hot, cold, or sugary food or drinks.
- An ache around a tooth.
- Pain when you bite down.
- A hole that you can feel with your tongue or see when you look in a mirror.
- Black, brown, or white staining on a tooth.
How to avoid tooth decay
While tooth fillings are a great option for treating tooth decay, it’s always best to avoid getting cavities in the first place. This means brushing for two minutes twice per day, flossing every day, and avoiding consuming lots of sugary food and drink. That’s because plaque and bacteria in your mouth can feed on sugars and build up on your teeth, where they erode the enamel and cause cavities and other damage.
Taking care of your teeth is crucial to your overall health, as there are links between oral health and heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Smoking and other bad habits exacerbate already compromised dental health for adults, so it's important to maintain a great oral health routine and regular dental check-ups.
There is a chance that even the most dedicated brushing and flossing routine won't be enough to keep tooth decay at bay. Some people have a predisposition for teeth that leach minerals (demineralisation), which softens them, and others may have underlying health issues that weaken teeth and lead to decay.
Regular check-ups are therefore vital, as they can keep an eye on your teeth for signs of tooth decay. This may help you be able to avoid cavities before they occur.
Ready to take the next step?
More than 90% of Australians have experienced decay in their permanent teeth, making dental fillings one of the most common dental procedures in the country.
Whether you think you need a filling or would like a check-up to help avoid needing fillings in the future, get in touch with our friendly team to schedule an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
A tooth filling will vary in cost depending on a number of factors, including the placement of the tooth, which filling material you use, and how many fillings you get at once.
fillings typically last 10-15 years if looked after correctly, but other filling materials can last even longer. Good dental care such as a healthy diet, regular flossing and brushing, and regular dentist check-ups will help to ensure the longevity of your filling.
No, tooth fillings don’t hurt because the area will be numbed with a local anaesthesia before the treatment even begins. The site may be a little tender for the following day after the procedure, but you can either take over-the-counter pain medication or avoid chewing using that tooth during this time.
The most painful part of a tooth filling is usually before you get it - the cavity itself can cause pain and discomfort, but the filling will treat the cause to avoid further pain.
No, a tooth filling is incredibly common, and most Australians will need at least one during their lifetime. You can get a tooth filling completed in less than an hour and not think about it again for many years to come.
The most common side effect of dental fillings are tenderness around the area following the treatment, which can be managed by over-the-counter pain medication. Other less common, side effects include:
- Infection that would need to be treated with antibiotics
- Dental fillings chipping or cracking over time
- Dental fillings falling out over time
Your dentist will watch for signs of damage to your filling over time, so regular check-ups will usually catch these problems before they occur.