Dental filling is one of the procedures performed to solve a caries. To understand the importance of this process it is necessary to take into account that dental caries affects more than 90% of the world’s population, with the particularity that we are dealing with a pathology that attacks people of any age.
One of the details that we must consider about the filling is that it will only be performed during the initial phase of the disease, that is, when the caries only affects the tooth enamel. In case the disease has advanced, another type of more complex and expensive treatment will be necessary, as is the case of the endodontics.
What is a Dental Filling?
We could define this concept as the action of removing the decay and subsequently filling the treated area. It is also known as dental filling and represents one of the most common and usual dental procedures today.
On the other hand, dental filling, as we will discuss below, is a very simple and painless process, so patients do not have to be afraid or fearful when undergoing this procedure.
How is a Filling Done?
The first step in this procedure is to apply local anesthesia in the area to be treated, however, in case the patient has a caries caries caries, it is necessary to know that the use of anesthesia will not be necessary. In any case, it will be the specialist who will determine if it is convenient to apply anesthesia.
The next step in this process is to remove the decayed portion of the tooth, usually distinguished by small, dark-colored spots that are lodged on the tooth surface.
Next, the gap left by the caries will be filled, being composite resin the most used material nowadays, since it has a color that offers a natural and esthetic result.
Furthermore, composite resin is a strong and durable material, allowing us to restore the functionality of our mouth. In the past, materials like silver or gold were used to fill the cavities caused by decay, however, nowadays they are hardly used because they affect the dental aesthetics of the patient.
What are the Main Advantages of Dental Filling?
The objective of the dental filling is to eliminate the caries that is located in the tooth enamel, since it is a disease that develops progressively, first attacking the enamel until it perforates the tooth.
It is at this moment when caries becomes much more dangerous, since it also damages the dentin and the nerve of the tooth. In short, we can say that advanced caries causes the destruction of the tooth.
In this way, thanks to the filling we can effectively eliminate caries, recovering both the esthetics and the functionality of the damaged tooth. Dental filling is not only an effective method to put an end to this type of ailment, since we are also talking about an economical, simple and painless intervention.
The problem with not treating this disease in time is that as it progresses, treatments become more complex, expensive and are not always successful.
In any case, it is always advisable to avoid its appearance, especially if we take into account that nowadays there are a series of techniques for the prevention of oral diseases that stand out for their efficacy.
Surely the most important of all is to maximize our routine dedicated to dental hygiene, being essential to brush teeth after every meal (especially after eating sugary foods) and the daily use of dental floss, which will help us to remove food debris and plaque that are lodged in the interdental spaces.
In addition, it is necessary to visit the dentist regularly to have our mouth examined for dental ailments.
This post is purely informational and does not replace a consultation with the dentist in any way. Contact the smile agents team to schedule an appointment with one of the dentists at Smilers Dental Clinic.