When teeth experience decay, your dentist will protect the tooth from further damage by sealing it off with the insertion of a filling. As a tooth restoration, fillings are strong and save the tooth from infection and excessive injury that requires an extraction. Dental examinations are important to check the status of fillings and if they are intact. Learn more about dental fillings from your Family Dentistry in New Baltimore MI.
The Role of Dental Fillings
Fillings that have worn away, chipped or cracked have lost their effectiveness and may permit tooth decay and infections to develop further. Your dentist will examine the edges of original fillings and ensure the tooth is properly sealed and protected from mouth bacteria. An infected tooth may need further treatment such as a root canal or result in extraction.
Any fillings that fail will need to be replaced. It is highly recommended not to wait until the filling has broken loose and tooth pain becomes severe from an infection or exposure of the nerve tissue. Early detection and treatment of broken fillings by your family dentistry in New Baltimore MI can prevent high costs of expensive procedures or costly restorative work.
Materials for Dental Restorations
Today’s dental materials have become more efficient, easier to use and may provide more dental aesthetics. Composite fillings are mixtures of acrylic resins that produce a tooth-colored restoration. Glass isonomers consist of fine fluoride and glass powder that can enhance the structure of the natural tooth and provide a tooth-colored finish. Both filling materials will provide a solid restoration without dulling the tooth appearance with metal colored materials.
Check Your Fillings
Your Family Dentist in New Baltimore MI recommends that you have regular dental checkups and ensure that fillings are intact. Always report tooth pain, a broken or cracked filling immediately to your dentist to prevent infection and costly procedures that may result from an injured tooth. For more information visit DiPilla Robert, DDS.