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At Discover Dental, we understand that caring for your child’s teeth is of the utmost importance. One common dental treatment that children may need is a dental filling. Fillings help restore teeth that have been damaged by decay, ensuring that your child's smile stays healthy, strong, and beautiful.
A dental filling is a procedure used to repair a tooth that has been affected by cavities or decay. The decayed portion of the tooth is removed and replaced with a durable material that restores the tooth’s shape and functionality. Fillings are essential for preventing further decay, alleviating discomfort, and maintaining the long-term health of your child’s teeth.
Fillings are typically needed when your child has a cavity, which is the result of tooth decay. Cavities can develop for several reasons, including poor oral hygiene, sugary snacks, or even genetics. When a cavity forms, it can cause pain, discomfort, or infection if left untreated. The earlier the decay is caught, the easier it is to treat with a filling.
Some signs that your child may need a dental filling include:
At Discover Dental, we recommend scheduling regular check-ups so that any potential cavities can be caught early and treated with minimal discomfort.
At Discover Dental, we prioritize the safety and well-being of your child, which is why we use mercury-free fillings in our practice. Traditional fillings often contain mercury, which can be harmful to the body. Instead, we use composite resin fillings, which are made from a blend of plastic and fine glass particles. These fillings are not only safe, but they also blend seamlessly with your child’s natural tooth color, providing a more aesthetic, less noticeable solution.
The procedure for placing a dental filling is straightforward and typically done in one visit to our office. Here's what you can expect:
At Discover Dental, we are committed to using the safest materials for your child’s dental health. Traditional fillings contain mercury, a toxic substance that has raised health concerns over the years. By opting for mercury-free composite fillings, we ensure that your child receives a safe, biocompatible solution that is as effective as it is aesthetically pleasing.
Our mercury-free fillings are:
After your child receives a filling, it's important to maintain good oral hygiene habits to ensure the longevity of the filling and the overall health of their teeth. Brushing twice a day, flossing, and limiting sugary foods and drinks will help prevent further cavities from developing.
We also recommend regular dental visits for routine check-ups and cleanings to ensure that their fillings are intact and their teeth remain in great shape.
If your child is showing signs of a cavity, don't wait! Contact us at Discover Dental today to schedule a consultation and learn more about our dental filling options. We're here to ensure that your child’s dental care is as safe, effective, and comfortable as possible.
If the pleasure of eating a delicious bowl of ice cream or sipping a soothing cup of tea gets overshadowed by dental pain that makes you wince; it's time to contact our office. As skilled providers of care, we'll determine what's causing your discomfort and perform the treatment required to alleviate your symptoms and get you back on the road to oral health.
Cavities develop because of an infectious process that causes progressive damage to tooth structure. Despite starting as a pinpoint defect on the outermost enamel layer of your tooth, untreated dental decay progressively compromises more and more healthy tooth structure as it works its way to the inner layers of your tooth.
Yes, you can still develop tooth decay on other surfaces of the tooth, around the margins of an old filling, or in fewer instances, recurrent decay underneath it. For this reason, it's essential to maintain excellent oral hygiene, a diet low in sugary beverages and sweets, and be sure to visit our office for routine checkups and care. While tooth decay is second only to the common cold in frequency, it's almost entirely preventable.
We value the time and comfort of our patients. If cavities are located on adjacent teeth, or in the same section of your smile, it may be possible to treat more than one tooth during your visit. However, how much is done each visit depends on several factors. We keep our patients well informed and tailor every treatment plan and visit to address their unique needs.
Addressing concerns on the presence of elemental mercury in silver fillings, the American Dental Association (ADA), The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, and the World Health Organization have all stated that amalgam restorations do not pose a risk to health. However, individuals with allergies or sensitivities to the metals in dental amalgam are advised to pursue other restorative options.
Dental fillings are performed under local anesthesia to help ensure your comfort throughout the entire procedure. The involved tooth remains completely numb for the extent of your visit. Within one or two hours after the procedure is completed, the local anesthetic will gradually wear off, and normal sensations return.
A tooth-colored composite filling is fully hardened and set by the end of your visit. However, we may advise you to wait a couple of hours until the local anesthesia has completely worn off. This advice is to help ensure you don't accidentally bite your lip, cheek, or tongue while still numb.
The lifetime of a dental filling varies depending on the type of material used. While popular dental materials can last a decade or more with proper care, they can degrade over time, wear down, or even break. When this happens, you may experience some tooth sensitivity, a jagged edge, or a loose or dislodged piece of filling material. Whatever the case may be, it's essential to get the filling replaced before the tooth sustains further damage or other consequences arise. Beyond taking good care of your smile we can help ensure the longevity of your fillings, our office regularly checks the status of your existing fillings as part of a routine checkup exam.
Dental fillings are an essential investment that serves to preserve and protect the health of your smile. With that said, how much a filling costs depends on the number of surfaces of the tooth involved and the filling material that is used. Amalgam restorations are the most economical. While tooth-colored composite fillings have a slightly higher cost, they offer the added benefits of being metal-free and much more aesthetically pleasing. Ceramic fillings, inlays, and onlays are more expensive than the preceding options but provide outstanding, long-lasting, and natural-looking results.
Dental insurances typically cover the cost of dental fillings. While we work with you to maximize your insurance benefits, there may still be an out-of-pocket expense. At the office of Discover Dental, we strive to help you begin care without any additional financial stress or delay.
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