Custom Tooth Fillings for Most Cavities
Tooth decay is more common than many people realize – it affects more than 90% of adults at least once in their lifetime. While preventing it is usually simple, small weakness in your hygiene or general dental care routine can allow bacteria to infect a tooth and lead to tooth decay and a cavity. Fortunately, treating a cavity in its early stages is typically simple. With a tooth filling, we can remove the infection from within your tooth to stop the cavity from growing, then restore the tooth’s structure so that you can once again bite and chew properly.
What Does a Tooth Filling Do?
A tooth filling’s main purpose is to restore a tooth that’s afflicted with decay, and that involves two important steps. The first is to remove the harmful oral bacteria that caused the decay to develop, as well as any infected tooth structure that still lingers within the cavity. Then, we can fill the cavity with a biocompatible material that conforms to the cavity’s shape and bonds securely with the tooth structure. By stopping the decay in its tracks and fortifying the remaining healthy tooth structure, your filling can help you avoid the need for more extensive treatment, such as root canal therapy or tooth extraction.
What Kinds of Fillings Are There?
With a focus on highly customized and minimally invasive restorative treatment, we offer multiple choices in materials for crafting the tooth filling that fits you best. For example, traditional fillings may consist of a safe metal amalgam, which is highly durable and can withstand even the most intense pressure from your bite. Therefore, we may recommend metal fillings for molars and premolars at the back of your dental ridges. We also offer more esthetically lifelike fillings made from tooth-colored composite resin or porcelain (ceramic). Tooth-colored fillings not only restore the cavity in your tooth, but also blend in discreetly with the tooth’s healthy, natural appearance.
Learn which filling fits your tooth best
If you have a mild to moderate cavity, then a filling can help you treat it and restore your tooth before decay causes even more damage to it. To find out which filling is best for your tooth, schedule a consultation by calling Dimples Family Dentistry in Norwalk, IA, today at (515) 256-1176.