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Having cavities and holes in your teeth can cause pain and discomfort, while also opening your teeth up to infection and other issues. Thankfully, dental fillings can safely and effectively preserve the health of your teeth, and help you avoid decay.
Tooth decay can cause significant pain and infection in the mouth when left untreated. A dental fillings is a procedure designed to treat minor cases of tooth decay by packing a hole or cavity in your tooth to support its structure and prevent erosion. A tooth filling is typically made from porcelain or composite resin and should last for several years. Fillings restore structure and health, while helping to avoid further decay.
Fillings are important to get whenever you have a tooth with minor or moderate decay, but unfortunately, it can often be hard to identify decay. Some signs that indicate the presence of a cavity include:
Decay can still occur even without a patient feeling any symptoms. It’s essential to regularly visit the dentist for a close assessment of your teeth and overall oral health.
Having a filling placed is a relatively straightforward procedure, completed under local anaesthetic in the dental chair. The procedure typically follows these steps:
The entire filling process usually takes around 15 to 30 minutes. Unfortunately, getting a filling is only effective in the early stages of decay, which is why it’s important to have your teeth regularly assessed. Severe tooth decay leads to more pain and infection, and requires more significant treatments like a dental crown or even extraction.
Maintaining good oral hygiene is the most important habit to ensure your filling lasts. We recommend brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and regularly visiting the dentist for a check-up. After getting a filling, you will likely experience some discomfort or sensitivity, though this can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
After a filling, we recommend choosing soft foods like scrambled eggs, yoghurt and smoothies, and to avoid chewing in the filling area for at least 24 hours. For the first few days, you should avoid hard, sticky or overly chewy foods like caramel, tough meat and nuts. If you’re ever unsure about certain foods, get in touch with us.
Our dental filling treatments provide simple and effective relief for minor and moderate decay, ensuring stability and health in your teeth. Get in touch to learn more about dental fillings and our other treatment options, or book an appointment. We can’t wait to see you.
Because composite fillings are hardened almost instantly, you can typically eat around 2 hours after the filling. For silver fillings or others that take longer to harden, it is recommended to wait as long as you can before eating, and to wait at least 24 hours before chewing on the side of your mouth that contains the filling. Avoid hard, chewy or crunchy foods for at least 24 hours, and try to eat soft foods like mashed potatoes, soup or smoothies. Read more about what you should and shouldn’t eat.
Getting a filling shouldn’t cause any pain, with the treatment conducted under anaesthetic. You may feel some pressure while the dentist works, but we always work to help you feel as comfortable as possible.
There are many different types of tooth fillings available. Composite resin fillings are tooth-coloured and designed to look more natural than others. However, a composite tooth filling may not be the most durable. By contrast, metal fillings made from gold or silver are typically longer lasting, but may lack the aesthetic appeal of composite fillings. Ceramic or porcelain fillings combine elements of both, being closer to tooth colour and very durable. Our dentists can help talk you through the types of fillings available.
The appearance of your filling largely depends on the filling material used. Modern composite resin fillings are tooth-coloured and designed to adhere directly to the teeth, allowing them to closely mimic natural tooth shape. Gold and silver fillings are typically more noticeable due to their colour.
Brushing and flossing regularly are the best tooth decay prevention methods. It is important to pay careful attention to your back teeth, which have many grooves and multiple roots that can collect food particles. Their position makes them harder to clean, so it is important to spend time ensuring you have properly brushed them and removed any plaque.
When caught on early during the demineralisation stage, tooth decay is reversible with good oral hygiene and cleaning practices. Once decay has reached the dentine underneath the enamel, decay is no longer reversible and treatment is required.
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