What is a tooth filling

What is a tooth filling

What is a tooth filling? Do they hurt? Read this to learn what you need to know about tooth fillings before you make an appointment with your dentist.

Fillings are more common than you might think, and a necessary part of oral health if you suffer from cavities. However, what is a tooth filling, and does it hurt to get one? There are a lot of questions that surround this procedure, and we get it – it’s daunting.

To help put your mind at ease, we will go through everything you need to know about tooth fillings and what to expect if you ever need to get one.

What is a tooth filling?

A tooth filling is used to treat cavities or holes in your teeth. Permanent can be made out of different materials such as porcelain, gold, silver amalgam, or composite fillings. However, temporary fillings can be glass ionomers, Cavit, intermediate restorative materials, zinc phosphate cement, or zinc oxide eugenol.

These materials will plug up the hole in your teeth to stop the pain and save your tooth. However, if you have cavities that have reached the pulp inside your teeth, they will likely need to be extracted to prevent further pain.

Getting fillings happens more frequently than you may think, and it usually isn’t anything to worry about. While you will typically get a permanent filling, you may need to get a temporary one initially. These temporary tooth fillings only last a few weeks, until there’s enough time for the full procedure.

Does getting a tooth filling hurt?

You may wonder which one hurts more – getting a tooth filling or getting a tooth extracted. The good news is, neither option should hurt too much if it’s done correctly.

Getting a filling might cause some discomfort and sensitivity in the hours after the procedure, but it should quickly return to normal. Thanks to the numbing agents we use, the procedure of getting the filling itself shouldn’t hurt at all.

When should you get a tooth filling?

It should ultimately be up to your dentist to decide when you need to get a tooth filling. However, when you visit them for toothaches and sensitivity, you probably already know that you may need one or more fillings.

It’s important to visit your clinic frequently for checkups. By doing this, you minimise the risk of allowing tooth decay to get bad enough to warrant more severe treatment options.

If you catch decay early enough, you may need as little as a prescribed fluoride treatment to help your teeth recover. By leaving the issue, you run the risk of letting your teeth get bad enough to need to be extracted.

Could you ever need emergency treatment?

In rare cases, you may feel like you need emergency treatment for an orthodontic issue and need to call 111. At Eye & Dental Clinic, we offer emergency appointments to help you get through difficult times.

If you experience extreme pain in your teeth, the first step may be to get a temporary filling in your mouth until there is enough time for a permanent one. This will relieve pain and allow you to live normally in the days or weeks leading up to your appointment.

The procedure of getting a tooth filling

Wondering what the steps are for getting a tooth filling? We will briefly outline them below, so that you have an idea of what to expect before the day comes:

1. Preparation for the procedure – this is an examination where we will walk you through the steps.
2. The applicable area in your mouth will be numbed to ensure that there is no pain. First, some pre-numbing gel will be applied, then you will receive a local anaesthetic injection.
3. Tooth decay will be removed.
4. The appropriate/chosen filling material will be chosen.
5. The filling material will be placed where it needs to be.
6. Setting the filling – this will depend on the material chosen. Some materials will require an LED curing light, but others will not.
7. Bite alignment and adjustments to ensure that there is no discomfort.
8. Polish the teeth and add the finishing touches – the filling will be polished to be nice and glossy so that it matches your teeth.

After you get your filling, you shouldn’t eat for at least a few hours. Depending on the type of filling, this could be anywhere from 2 to 24 hours, with amalgam fillings needing plenty of time to set properly before you dig into your favourite foods.

With that being said, we also recommend avoiding foods that are very hot, sticky, or hard in the weeks after you get your fillings. Avoiding these will ensure that your fillings have bonded with your teeth, and will stay in place to do their job.

Signs that you need to make another appointment

Unfortunately, things might not always go right. More often than not, this is not your fault or anyone else’s, and we just need to be prepared for it.

There are a few signs that you should make another appointment with your dentist that you should look out for after getting a filling. These include pain around the filling, sensitivity that doesn’t go away, issues with positioning/your bite, and infections or allergies.

Look out for redness and swelling around the teeth that got fillings, as well as sensitivity and general pain. Because of the nature of fillings, it’s easy for issues to arise. While these are not pleasant to deal with, you should be sure to get in touch with your dentist as soon as you notice them so that they can be resolved.

In the case of allergies, your dentist will need to change the filling material, and if your bite is being affected, the filling may need to be smoothed down. If you experience pain and sensitivity, a trip to your dentist will reveal the cause, and you will be able to get it resolved. Don’t wait around and hope it goes away.

Popular dental procedures

There are a lot of popular dental procedures that you might look into, depending on your personal wants and needs. At Eye & Dental Clinic, we offer general dentistry and checkups for your everyday needs, as well as teeth straightening, Invisalign, teeth whitening, and crowns and bridges procedures.

Additional services we offer include:

• Fillings.
• X-rays.
• Dental implants.
• Repairs.
• Veneers.
• Composite bonding.
• Dentures.

How much do dental procedures cost?

The cost of dental procedures can vary a lot. Some are as little as £10, and others, such as Invisalign, start at £3,745.00.

Because of the training, time, and materials involved, dental procedures are not always as affordable as other forms of healthcare. However, oral health is not something that should be overlooked.

By signing up for dental plans, you can save money and feel better knowing that you can get treatment when you need it.

If you are getting cosmetic procedures, you can usually expect these to cost more. However, check out our list of procedure costs to find out how much you may need to pay based on your wants and needs.

Final thoughts

We understand that going to a dentist for any kind of issue can be daunting for many, but it doesn’t have to be. Now that you can answer the question ‘what is a tooth filling’, hopefully you feel a little bit more at ease.

Even if dentists make you nervous, it’s important to remember that prevention is better than a cure. It’s always beneficial to go for regular checkups at your clinic to ensure that you stay on top of your oral health and catch any issues as soon as they appear. That way, there’s a good chance that you can avoid having to get fillings at all.

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