Dealing with decay? Here’s how a tooth-colored filling can help.
Cavities are completely preventable with proper oral hygiene; unfortunately, decay is still the most common dental problem for both children and adults. If our East Lyme, CT, dentists, Dr. Joseph Palumbo or Dr. Sami Yousuf has found a cavity during your last dental checkup then you’re going to need a tooth-colored dental filling to restore the tooth.
What causes cavities?
While genetics do play a role in who is more susceptible to cavities, most cavities are the result of poor hygiene and high sugar diets. If you don’t remember the last time you flossed or if you only brush your teeth once a day, then you are putting your teeth at risk for cavities.
Everything we consume on a daily basis causes plaque to accumulate on our teeth. Sugar and starchy foods are notorious for increasing plaque buildup. Plaque turns sugar and starches into acid, which erodes enamel. Over time, this causes holes in the enamel. These holes are known as decay. As decay continues to grow, it eventually turns into a cavity. Once a cavity forms, our East Lyme, CT, family dentist will need to remove the decay and place a tooth-colored filling.
How does a filling work?
Once we remove the decay, there is now a hole in your tooth where the decayed enamel used to be. In order to strengthen and rebuild the tooth, we need to fill the hole with a durable material. This is known as a dental filling. Most tooth-colored fillings are made from composite resin, which resembles the look and shade of real enamel, so you won’t even notice it once it’s bonded to the tooth.
In order to place a tooth-colored filling, our dentist will need to first choose the appropriate resin shade that matches your teeth and then apply the resin in layers. This dental resin resembles putty, which allows us to easily shape and mold each layer to the tooth. Each layer is then hardened into place using a dental laser. A dental filling is placed the very same day that the cavity is treated, so the tooth is treated and restored in just one visit.
Here at East Lyme Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, our team prides itself on providing mercury-free dental restorations, from dental fillings to crowns. If you are dealing with a broken tooth, severe toothache, or another dental emergency, we are still keeping office hours from 8 am-1 pm, Monday through Friday. To schedule an urgent appointment with our East Lyme, CT, general dentist, please call (860) 739-3447.