Composite restorations, commonly known as “tooth colored fillings,” help restore and strengthen damaged teeth that have succumbed to small areas of decay, trauma, or wear.
This video illustrates how a composite filling restores a damaged or decayed tooth to its natural strength and appearance.
At LakeView Dental Arts, we use tooth colored composite to replace decayed tooth structure for small fillings. Tooth-colored fillings offer the advantage of bonding to the remaining tooth structure. This bond makes a tooth-colored filling far less likely to cause tooth cracking or allow leakage around the filling, like previous metal fillings.
Though every patient would love to receive a clean bill of health each time they visit their dentist, widespread consumption of sugary foods and drinks, along with other causes of tooth decay, such as dry mouth, is unavoidable for most of us. Did you know that a dry mouth is a side effect of every one of the top 200 most prescribed medications? No wonder tooth decay is unavoidable for most of us!
Professional teeth restorations — commonly known as getting a filling — are a relatively simple and painless dental procedure that helps patients regain tooth integrity and maintain good oral health.
Unlike dental sealants, which are used to fill deep nooks and crannies in healthy teeth to prevent food from becoming trapped and causing the erosion of tooth enamel, fillings are used to fill cavities — essentially holes in your teeth — that result from tooth decay. The filling restores the tooth’s structure and full function. Depending on the material used, a filling can look just like the rest of your natural tooth.
Types of filling include:
If you require a filling, your dentist will recommend the type of filling best suited to your situation.
Most cavities are detected in an early stage through x-rays, which are conducted on a regular basis at dental checkups or doctor exams. However, if you are experiencing the following symptoms, you may have a cavity:
At LakeView Dental Arts, we believe in preventative dentistry. This involves educating our patients on proper oral care and health, regular professional cleanings, placing sealants in deep grooves of teeth, and using agents to reduce acid and bacteria, all to help prevent or reduce cavity formation. If cavities are present, removing the decay early to retain as much tooth structure as possible is our goal.
To receive a composite filling, the area around the tooth will first be numbed. Then the tooth is prepared by removing the decayed portion, leaving an area that will be filled with the composite.
After removing all traces of decay and testing the area to assure all decay has been removed, a special bonding agent is applied to the prepared area. A special curing light is then used to secure the bonding agent.
Your dentist then applies the composite material to the prepared area in layers, shaping the material to match the contours of your tooth’s surface. The curing light is used to set each layer of the composite, hardening it to withstand the forces of opposing teeth.
As a final step, your dentist will polish the composite filling to smoothen it and give it a similar sheen to the rest of your tooth.
Once completed, your tooth is free of decay and restored to its natural strength and appearance.
Your filling can last for many years if you maintain proper brushing and flossing. Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once a day or after every meal. You should also visit your dentist every six months for professional teeth cleanings, x-rays, and exams.
Whether you need a tooth-colored filling or you are interested in any of our other restorative and cosmetic dentistry services, our team is standing by and ready to help. Contact us today to schedule your visit with LakeView Dental Arts and see the difference our commitment and advanced technology make in your smile. Our dental office warmly welcomes patients from surrounding areas throughout, Roane and Morgan Counties, including Kingston, Rockwood, Harriman, Midtown, Wartburg, Sunbright, Oakdale, and Oliver Springs; as well as Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Farragut, Lenoir City, Loudon, and Crossville, TN. Contact us today!
