Why are Dental Fillings Necessary – Elite Dental Care Tracy

In current situations, people are very careful, and they are following all the possible ways to stay fit and healthy.
We brush and floss every day to maintain our teeth healthy, but after a specific point of time, we will have to face tooth decay due to several reasons.
Do you have cavities in your teeth? and you feel it is not important to treat the cavities?
Are you afraid of visiting a dental doctor to treat the cavities?
Here are some insights about tooth decay and dental fillings to change the perception of people who panic to undergo the treatment.
What is a tooth decay/cavity? How is it treated? What happens if it not treated on time?
A tooth decay/Cavity:
Damage of the strong tissues like enamel, dentin, and cementum of tooth/teeth developing small holes that stay forever called cavities due to the acids generated by the bacteria from the food we intake.
According to the National Institute of Health, tooth decay ranks first in the children and adults in America.
The cavity has become a part of life, followed by a dental filling.
What is Dental filling?
Dental filling:
It is filling the small holes developed due to cavities with suitable materials to avoid further damage to the affected tooth.
If the damaged tooth is left untreated, the cavities will multiply and reaches the inner layer of the tooth, which is the pulp tissue of the root canal, it is the final stage leading to the extraction of the tooth. This stage causes discomfort and terrific pain to the patient.
You may lose your jawbone along with your tooth if the decay is untreated.

What type of fillings best suit individuals?
Before the dental procedure patients rise this query of what type of filling suits them?
The answer is not anyone type of filling is suitable to an individual, filling type depends upon the intensity of the repair of an individual.

Different types of materials used for dental filling:

Gold fillings:

These fillings are not ready-made, they have to be ordered in the laboratory and properly cemented in the patient’s tooth.
It is one of the best types of filling material, but more expensive and requires multiple dental visits.
They last for more than 20 years.
2.Porcelain fillings:
These fillings almost cover the tooth, they are stain-resistant, and the color of the fillings can be selected as same as the tooth color. These should be ordered in the lab and their cost matches the cost of gold.

Composite resins:These are the composite materials which are mixed and filled in the cavity, they are made of plastic and give natural teeth appearance.

They do not resist stains; they can change their color and can get damaged over time.
It lasts for approximately three to ten years depending upon how carefully you use.

Amalgam Fillings:These fillings are made of silver and are

dark in color when compared to other fillings, due to their color they are not used in visible places like front teeth.
They are inexpensive comparatively.

The above fillings are used if the tooth decay is in initial stages if the damage it too deep into the tooth then a cap or a crown topping is preferred to save the remaining healthy tooth.

If the damage has crossed the tooth and reached the nerve, it is treated in two ways:

Root Canal Therapy:The nerve-damaged is removed.
Pulp capping:Damaged nerve is kept alive using a small procedure.

During the procedure of filling, doctors should carefully check if the filling material suits the patient’s blood and body type, as some people will be allergic to certain materials which might increase the risk of the surgery.
To avoid this risk, you need to discuss with the doctor clearly about the procedure.

Expectations during the procedure:

Anesthesia:

As the first step of the procedure, you will be given anesthesia sometimes to the whole body or most of the time only to the surgical area.

Removal of Tooth decay:

The doctor will cut the top layer (enamel) and clears it from the decay and shape it to free some space for filling.

Create Bonding:

In the created, free space doctor will engrave it with an acid gel to create a strong bond with the filling.

Fill with materials:

The doctor will choose the resins and fill it in the space and harden it using a bright light to make it stronger.

Polish:

After the filling doctors will polish the teeth and hence this concludes the procedure.

Symptoms:

Pain when you bite something.
Sensitivity in the tooth.
Holes in the tooth.
Toothache, or pain without any reason.
Stains on teeth in different colors like brown, black, etc.

Complications:

Loose tooth/teeth.
Pain the cavity area
Pus or swelling around the tooth
Discomfort while chewing

Few tips for Prevention:
These are some of the tips to maintain good dental and oral hygiene and avoid dental cavities.
Dental visits: Never miss your scheduled dental visits, as your doctor will clean your teeth using professional instruments and method and this prevents oral problems.
Rinse frequently:
If your dentist predicts, you have the risk of developing cavities then start rinsing your teeth with warm salted water very frequently, this helps you keep good oral health.
Fluoride water: Always check for fluoride levels in your drinking water as it contributes to healthy teeth.
Be careful, if fluoride levels exceed the required level it leads to another disease called “Fluorosis.”
Avoid Junk foods:
If you eat junk foods you are allowing the mouth bacterial to excrete acids and act on the teeth and destroy the enamel.
Try to avoid junk food and whenever you eat rinse your mouth with warm salted water.
Dental Products: Use dental products like toothpaste, mouthwashes, etc., that are strong and rich in fluoride and meant for dental care.
Bad habits: Avoid bad habits like smoking, drinking, eating more sweets, colored foods, etc., very frequently.
Healthy foods:
Practice eating healthy foods like greens, vegetables, fruits to increase saliva flow. Drink unsweetened black coffee, tea, green tea this helps washing away remained food particles from your teeth.
Do not eat or drink foods or liquids that get stuck up inside the teeth and causes cavities

Reports 2020:
In 2017, direct tooth filling materials were valued around USD926.1 million, and a new research report states that the market of the tooth filling materials will exceed USD 1.5 billion, the demand rises at a high level due to which the insurance companies will increase the reimbursement rate.