Fillings are used to restore teeth that may have been damaged by tooth decay.
What to expect
Your dentist will remove any decayed part of the tooth, clean the area and fill in the cleaned out cavity. Filling up the space will also help prevent further decay. Cavities left untreated, can lead to more serious dental procedures, including root canals and tooth extractions.
Fillings can be made from several substances:
Gold fillings are made in a laboratory and are long lasting. They do require multiple visits with the dentist and tend to be more expensive than other choices.
Silver fillings are long lasting, durable and less expensive compared to other choices. This substance is a dark material so dentists tend not to use it in highly visible places.
Porcelain fillings are custom made in a lab to match your tooth color. Stain resistant and long lasting, this filling tends to be more expensive than other choices.
Composite reins are plastic, tooth-colored fillings that are matched to your tooth color. This filling is generally used for small fillings, as they tend to stain and only last 3 to 10 years.
An optical scanner is used to take detailed pictures of your tooth. Your dentist then uses state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology to craft the image into a custom dental restoration.
Your dentist will be able to create the best treatment plan for you based on the severity of the damage.