Fillings
Fillings are needed when decay begins to eat away at the tooth's surface. With 5 surfaces to each of the 32 teeth, that's over 150 surfaces susceptible to decay. Most often cavities (also called caries) cannot be seen or felt. In fact, they often occur underneath the tooth or inside it and cannot be detected without the doctor or an x-ray. Without regular checkups, you often don't feel the cavity until it has eaten through to the innermost layers of the tooth. It is here where the nerve endings are located. By then, an inlay/onlay or crown may be needed.
When placing a filling, the tooth-colored filling material we use today is superior in durability and esthetics compared to the silver amalgams of yesteryear. Due to the health concerns of mercury, the possibility of silver fillings expanding and cracking, and the inferior quality of silver compared to today's modern materials, all fillings are composed of tooth-colored porcelain and/or resin. When you need to have new cavities filled or old silver fillings replaced, we will work with you to provide an appropriate plan of treatment.
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Note: Our digital x-rays offer immediate diagnosis and 80% less exposure than conventional systems. |
