WHAT ARE TOOTH FILLINGS?

Tooth fillings are a dental restoration procedure that uplifts your smile without affecting oral aesthetics. Fillings usually fill up the portion of the tooth that has been removed due to decay or cavities and are of multiple types. Tooth fillings, in addition to improving your smile, also restore tooth form and function and strengthen their chewing abilities. Dental or tooth fillings are usually recommended to people who have:

• Chipped, gapped, or cracked teeth.
• Sensitivity while having a cold or hot food items.
• The appearance of dark spots on teeth.
• Damaged previous fillings.
• Decayed teeth.

The tooth fillings repair the decayed tooth and stop the spread of bacteria to the adjacent teeth. These fillings treat smaller portions of cavity-filled teeth and provide a strong barrier against harmful bacteria by preventing further teeth deterioration.

Dental fillings minimise the risks of severe dental complications and repair the structural integrity of your original teeth. If you have the symptoms of decayed or cavity-filled teeth. In that case, you should immediately seek a professional dentist’s help to lessen the risks of tooth extraction and to restore and preserve your original teeth.

By preserving the tooth structure, you can also protect your bone health, appearance and speech. The dental fillings are placed over the original teeth and significantly restore the chipped and cracked teeth and their functionalities. Protecting the quality of natural teeth is important as no artificial alternative can take their place.

Dental fillings stop bacteria from reaching the innermost layer of teeth, which is pulp. If the pulp gets affected by cavities or bacteria, the tooth roots will start dying, and eventually, teeth will fall out. The infection can also spread to other parts of the mouth or to adjacent teeth disrupting oral health and causing severe illness.

Moreover, if you do not get the infection treated in the initial stage with dental fillings, it can become severe, and in that case, the dentist may have to perform root canal treatment so that the infection cannot spread further.

Recent cosmetic or restorative dentistry advancements have enabled people to get rid of decayed teeth by maintaining a natural smile. Nowadays, people can get dental fillings that exactly match their original teeth’ colour by ensuring that the fillings do not stand out.

Porcelain is the most preferred and common teeth-filling material that blends with natural teeth colour and almost looks invisible. It provides you with a beautiful smile that uplifts your self-confidence.

Decayed teeth can cause terrible and persistent pain and discomfort in the mouth, which makes a person unaware of his surroundings, severely affecting his normal functioning. The porcelain or composite dental fillings can substantially help alleviate the pain in the affected area and effectively minimise teeth sensitivity.

The approximate costs of dental fillings mainly depend on the extent of tooth decay, the number of fillings required,  the type of material used, and on your region. However, the average dental fillings cost between $150 to $400, but these are inconsistent costs and can change based on the above-mentioned factors. 

Amalgam fillings cost between $150 to $300, and the costs of composite fillings fluctuate between $200 to $400. In some cases, dental fillings costs are often covered by dental insurance, but patients still have to pay for a specific part.

Though dental filling treatment is painless, patients still usually experience mild pain, sensitivity, or slight discomfort after getting their treatment done for a few weeks. During this period, patients should avoid eating extremely hard or sticky food items. They should also refrain from hot and cold foods to avoid pain sensations. Dental fillings are durable and generally last for about ten years or more, but people should follow some precautions to preserve their quality for longer periods. 

• Maintain good oral hygiene to prevent reinfection or decay.
• Avoid chewing extremely hard or sticky food items.
• See your dentist if you experience any damage in the fillings.
• Make sure to get your fillings replaced after they are worn out or become dysfunctional.

By following these steps, you can significantly preserve the quality of your teeth fillings and can also avoid getting your fillings replaced after some time.

There are generally four types of dental fillings that people opt for depending on the extent of their decay and according to their preferences:

• Composite fillings
• Silver amalgam fillings
• Ceramic fillings
• Glass ionomer fillings

Out of all these fillings, composite fillings are the most common ones as they completely blend with the colour of natural teeth and provide people with a natural-looking smile.

Silver amalgam fillings are the most durable tooth fillings that do not chip or damage easily. They can withstand strong chewing forces and provide maximum support to teeth functionality. However, they do not match the original teeth’ colour and are generally placed in the posterior teeth, mostly on the molars and premolars.

Generally, dental fillings can last for more than seven years if you take good care of them. However, if you feel any symptoms of damage or wear and tear in the fillings, consult your dentist and get the dental fillings replaced at once before they completely crack.