When you have a toothache and the pain doesn’t subside after a day or two, then you could have a cavity. In this situation, you need a restorative treatment to avoid the risk of worsening pain and infection. With a dental filling, we can stop discomfort and prevent infection! In today’s blog, your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist talks about placing our dental fillings.
The Link Between Cavities and Toothaches
We develop cavities when the outer enamel is eroded or damaged. This could be due to teeth grinding, injury, or plaque buildup brought on by poor brushing and flossing, or a diet high in sugar. When the cavity forms, it will grow with time and spread through your tooth. Eventually, this reaches the inner pulp, your tooth’s nerve center, which causes a dental infection. At this point, more severe discomfort is possible and you could potentially lose the tooth with a root canal. Which is why when your tooth hurts, we want to see you before your cavity becomes an infection!
Placing Our Dental Fillings
Our team will examine your tooth with digital x-rays to assess the position and severity of your decay, so we can plan the filling placement in detail. To ensure the procedure is a comfortable one, our team will numb the tooth. We then remove decay and clean the tooth thoroughly. Our team will prepare the filling material and apply it in several layers. This metal-free blend of glass-like and acrylic-like particles is known as composite resin, and it is biocompatible and bonds with the tooth. The material can also be shaded to blend with your smile too!
We will sculpt and mold the tooth to ensure a balanced bite, curing the composite resin under a light as we do. Finally, we will polish the tooth for a brighter appearance. In only one sitting, we stop decay and protect your tooth, all with lifelike results!
Preventing Future Cavities
We also want to help you avoid future complications with your smile! To keep cavities at bay, we recommend you brush for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste when you wake up, and then do so again before you go to bed. Also, you need to floss thoroughly in between each tooth before bed as well. These actions help remove stray food and drink particles before they can feed bacteria and create plaque buildup. You can also help with a diet low in sugar, and by seeing our team for a checkup and cleaning visit once every six months.
If you have any questions about how these actions can help safeguard your smile or if you have a toothache that needs attention, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you enjoy a healthy and beautiful smile!
Do You Have Any Questions About Treating Tooth Decay?
The team at Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX, is ready to help protect and preserve your smile with a dental filling. To schedule an appointment with our team, call us today at 972-262-5111.
