Dental Filling SW PortlandDental Filling provided by Dr. Azbari in Portland, OR at Barnes Dental  Fillings are a very minor, restorative procedure. They are designed to save the tooth from further decay or damage. When a filling is placed, it also restores the lost functionality, to not only the tooth with the cavity, but also to the oral cavity. Most times, fillings are used to take care of a cavity, so it stops causing further damage to the tooth. While cavities can be the result of trauma, the vast majority are simply caused by tooth decay. Those patients who fail to practice good oral hygiene, by flossing and brushing twice a day, allowing decay to set into the tooth’s enamel. It will slowly work its way into the heart of the tooth and infect the dentin. Patients who prefer to eat and drink beverages and food with a high acid content, tend to experience a greater number of cavities than those who do not. Patients have no reason to worry if they have a cavity. The treatment of the cavity is quite simple and quick. It takes less than 15 minutes to fill a cavity at a single appointment. Any patient, with an aching tooth, or acute pain, should come to see us at our office to get an assessment. If a filling is needed, we can take care of it, at Barnes Dental. When is a Filling Necessary?When a patient is diagnosed with a cavity, it is important to get it filled as soon as possible. When they are ignored, the cavity will only worsen over time. Cavities can easily compromise a patient’s teeth, resulting in invasive and expensive surgical procedures to try and save it. If cavities get bad enough, the tooth will have to be extracted. Fillings can correct fractured, chipped, and cracked teeth. If decay is left untreated, a root canal or tooth extraction may be your next steps. Placing a FillingThe filling procedure is straightforward and quite simple in practice. First, the patient is numbed with a local anesthetic. This is to make sure they are pain-free and quite comfortable while the feeling is placed. It is applied liberally on the tooth and the nearby gums. Once the patient is comfortable and adequately numbed, the tooth is prepared. The decay is removed from the tooth. This is important because if the filling is placed without removing all of the decay, the tooth will continue to succumb to the decay. Once the area is prepared, a malleable resin is pressed into the cleaned-out pocket. This will stop the decay from continuing and restore lost functionality. Types of FillingsThe make-up of fillings varies and changes from location to location. However, there are generally two types: amalgam and resin. Made from several different metals, amalgam has a metallic finish to it. It is the least expensive and most widely used. They can be difficult to work with because amalgam is not as malleable as resin. With resin, cavities are much easier to completely fill. It can be shaped and manipulated to a perfect fit every time. Resin can also be tinted to match the natural color of the patient’s teeth. Those patients with questions about fillings can contact Barnes Dental. We can be reached at (971) 441-5520. |
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