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What to Expect if You Have Never Had a Filling

Posted on 12/20/2019 by Janice K. Pliszczak, DDS

If you have never been to the dentist, then the idea of having a filling put in can sound a little intimidating. Thousands upon thousands of fillings are performed each day. Our office would like to give you some information about what to expect.

So, You Have a Cavity

Finding out that you have a cavity is never fun to hear. Even if leading up to your checkup you felt something was off. What happens next is an x-ray to check the depth of the cavity.

Most surface level cavities have eaten through the outer enamel and somewhat into the teeth exterior. You can sometimes visually see them as a cream-colored or brown spot. Your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to numb the tooth.

Using a variation of drills, the cavity will be drilled out completely to stop it from continuing to burrow into your tooth. Once all the material has been drilled away you are set to receive your filling. Our dentist will apply a tooth-colored composite resin, it's moldable like clay. Once it has been molded to cosmetically fill the hole it is set. Most often with an ultraviolet light that hardens it quickly. As intense as it sounds, it's extremely routine.

Why Fillings Are Important

When tooth decay destroys part of a tooth, the resulting cavity is sensitive or painful. It can eventually expose inner nerves or compromise the tooth's strength. Even if our dentist removed only the decay from inside the cavity, the hole itself would present a problem for the tooth. By filling in the hole our dentist is providing you with a completely repaired tooth. Fillings prevent bacteria or plaque from building up inside cavities, which could lead to serious infections like an abscessed tooth.

If you are showing the signs of a cavity, don't let the fear of a filling scare you away. It will only get worse. The faster you address cavities, the quicker they can be healed. Contact our office soon enough we can even help reverse some forms of decay without an invasive procedure.

What Our Patients Are Saying About Us Janice K. Pliszczak, DDS logo icon

Exceptionally Friendly!!

"You are put at ease the minute you walk into their new office on Broad Rd. Beautiful and calming surroundings. The staff couldn't be more helpful and are extremely friendly. Dr. Pliszczak is exactly what you want in a Dentist. Always concerned with your comfort, I never feel rushed, and I enjoy here friendly manner. And because of all of their meticulously thorough work, My teeth are as healthy as can be!!! Thank you Dr. Pliszczak, Jade and Nancy" ~Roamy F.