Dental Fillings Can Fix Your Smile

If you are like more than 90% of Americans, then you have had a cavity at some point in your life. Cavities are also known as “tooth decay”, because they literally cause decay in your teeth. However, dentists are there to remove decay from patient’s teeth and help their smile be beautiful again. Find out how dental fillings can help restore your smile once more and what other services we have to fix flaws in your teeth!

Problems with Tooth Decay?

Did you know that about 92% of people get tooth decay sometime during their lifetime? There are millions of people that have had tooth decay, and you are likely one of them (just judging by statistics). Tooth decay also goes by the name of “cavities” or “dental caries”. Often, people associate cavities with children, but they are just as common (if not more common) in adults. If you have ever had a cavity, you are not alone! Just look at the statistics:

• Tooth decay (cavities) is the most chronic, prevalent disease among children and adults, as reported by the National Institutes of Health.
• Around 92% of people between 20 and 64 have cavities. After age 65, 96% of people have had cavities.
• Tooth decay can actually be considered an “infectious” disease because the decay spreads to other parts of the tooth and mouth if not controlled. However, you can’t spread cavities to another person.
• 42% of children between 2 and 11 have had cavities. About half of those have untreated cavities that continue to grow.
• 26% of adults have untreated decay because they don’t visit the dentist.
• Tooth decay is completely and 100% avoidable if you follow proper oral hygiene guidelines and see your dentist often.

How Does Tooth Decay Happen?

Did you know that you can’t just reverse a cavity? It’s permanent decay that you can’t get back. That’s why dentists and other medical professionals are always urging patients to brush and floss their teeth. Your body can’t simply regrow the teeth, especially areas that decay. A dentist must physically remove the decayed part of your tooth to stop it from spreading. How did that decay happen in the first place? In all honesty, your oral hygiene habits are most likely to blame. The American Dental Association recommends that everyone brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss 1-2 times. Why? Because these are the best measures to avoid tooth decay and gum problems.

When you eat, sugars in your foods and drinks stick around in your mouth. They combine with various mouth bacterias to make a sticky, acidic paste. That paste is known as plaque, and it can destroy your teeth. If you look in the mirror at this very moment, you may even see a clear, sticky film on your teeth. That is the plaque we are talking about. Because it is acidic, plaque erodes your tooth enamel where it sits. Over time, your hard enamel will become weak, and it will get cracks and holes in it. That plaque will seep inside your soft, inner part of your tooth and cause even more decay than on the tooth surface. That is how a cavity happens. However, it never can happen if you are brushing and flossing several times a day and limiting how much sugar you eat.

Dental Fillings to Fix Your Smile

We mentioned that you can’t reverse tooth decay. What you can do, however, is receive dental fillings for the spaces that were decayed. A dentist not only wants to remove all the decay and infection a cavity causes, but they want to make your smile beautiful again. In the past, dentists would remove the decayed part of your tooth and fill it with metal material. This metal was very noticeable and didn’t help beautify your smile. That’s why the switch to tooth-colored dental fillings was an exciting time for dentistry. You could remove the dental decay and fix your teeth like new!

Dental fillings are sometimes known as “composite fillings”, even though they are the same thing. When you come in for your dental exam, we will take x-rays of your teeth to find dental decay. Whether the decay is large or small, we will set an appointment to remove the decay. We gently drill out the decayed part of your tooth so that the decay stops spreading. We then place a gel on the tooth that roughens up the tooth surface in the area of the cavity. With this roughened tooth surface, a bonding agent can then be applied that will allow for the placement and retention of dental fillings.

When Are Dental Fillings the Best Choice?

There are many restorative dentistry options for patients when they have tooth decay. However, you always want to opt for the most minimally-invasive option to fix your decay and your smile. With severe tooth decay, a root canal and even a new tooth might be the best choice to restore your smile. However, if you are visiting the dentist biannually (which would be your 6-month appointment), then we can always catch cavities when they are small.

When cause early, we can simply drill a tiny part of your tooth, remove the decay and then provide you with dental fillings. This is an easy process and the best choice for fixing tooth decay that is not severe. Plus, with modern technology that allows us to do tooth-colored dental fillings, no one will ever know you even had a cavity. If you want to change your metal fillings out for tooth-colored ones or you need to schedule your exam, call Stonebrook Family Dental today at (303) 872-7907!