How and Why Dental Fillings are done?

If your dentist has told you that you are with a dental cavity then don’t make any more delay to get treatment for it. According to one of the records, it is said that 78% of Americans have at least one cavity at their early age of 17 years. One of the nice facts about the dental cavity is that they can be easily treated if they are detected at the early stages.

Cavity causes Tooth Decay

Decay of the tooth is caused due to the formation of plaque on the teeth surface. Plaque is caused by the bacterial action and that gets build up on your teeth. When you eat sugar based foods, it comes in contact with the plaque and thus excretes an acid material which results in the tooth decay.

This plaque crosses the tooth’s protective layer and finally causes tooth decay. If it is left untreated it causes severe pain and also serious dental problems.

This dangerous plaque can be removed by dental cleanings, done by the professionals. It can be removed in minor stages by proper brushing techniques and flossing, one should avoid sugar based foods and drinks to avoid the formation of plaque and the tooth decay.

Amalgam Fillings

Since these tooth decays causes severe pain, mouth swelling etc, it needs to be treated as soon as possible. Dental fillings are the primary treatment done to cure tooth decay. What they actually do is they fill the hole that is caused due to the tooth cavity, which stops the tooth reshaping and also the further tooth decay.

The material used to fill the tooth cavity differs sometimes but the most common used material for filling the tooth cavity is the amalgam. It is an alloy, a mixture of silver, mercury, tin and copper. It is basically silver in color, it is durable and effective to fill the cavity, there has been some criticism regarding the composition of the amalgam.

Most of the dentists now-a-days go for composite fillings which are the mixture of glass, quartz, and resin material. This composite filling suits the exact natural color of the teeth. It not only fits the tooth color but also fits the needs of the tooth.

The dental cavities can be filled by a dentist within a short span of time with no discomfort. Anesthesia is given to frozen the tooth, its roots and the surrounding region. Then, he will remove the tooth decay using some equipments and he cleans out the cavity to fill in the new artificial tooth. The filling is done to suit the cavity place. It is exposed to UV radiations in order to make it hard. Excess filling is removed to ensure the natural shape of your tooth.