It’s inevitable for most people: At some point, they will need to have a cavity filled. Dental decay is quite common, and thankfully with today’s modern dentistry, decay usually means a simple filling will preserve the health of your tooth.
At Family Dentistry of Royal Oak we use tooth-colored fillings to prevent decay from growing in your tooth. Let’s take a look at the tooth-colored filling process and what you might expect from your Royal Oak dentist.
What Happens When You Get a Tooth-Colored Filling
Your dentist will use a numbing gel to numb the site where a needle will deliver a local anesthetic. You should barely feel the needle at all when the injection is administered. The local anesthetic will keep you from feeling any pain during the filling procedure.
When the site is numb, preparation for the filling procedure begins. Depending on which tooth your cavity is in, your dentist might use a bite block or rubber dam to make it easier to fill the tooth.
Before getting started, your dentist will take a moment to decide on which shade of filling material to use. Ideally, the composite material used for tooth-colored fillings will match your tooth so well, it is virtually undetectable.
Next, your dentist needs to remove the decayed portion of the tooth using the familiar-sounding dental drill. This handpiece makes a noise that evokes feelings of discomfort in some people, but you shouldn’t actually feel anything during the drilling process.
Suction tools will be used throughout the process to remove excess saliva and debris from your mouth.
Once the decay has been removed, your dentist will fill in the space left behind with the composite filling material. There will be some adjustments to make sure you can bite down comfortably—and then the process is completed.
Call Family Dentistry of Royal Oak if You Need a Filling
Find out more about tooth-colored fillings in Royal Oak by giving your dentist a call!