What is a Tooth Filling/ Dental filling ?
To treat a cavity your dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth where the decayed material once lived.
Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down.
What steps are involved in filling a tooth?
1. The dentist will numb the area around the tooth with a local anaesthetic if required
2 .A drill, air abrasion instrument or laser will be used to remove the decayed area. The choice of instrument depends on the individual dentist's comfort level.
3. Probe or test the area during the decay removal process to determine if all the decay has been removed. Once the decay has been removed, your dentist will prepare the space for the filling by cleaning the bacteria and debris. If the decay is near the root, your dentist may first put in a liner made of glass ionomer, composite resin, or other material to protect the nerve. Generally, after the filling is done your dentist will finish and polish it.
4. Several additional steps are required for tooth-colored fillings and are as follows. After your dentist has removed the decay and cleaned the area, the tooth colored material is applied in layers. Next, a special light that "cures" or hardens each layer is applied. When the multi layering process is completed, your dentist will shape the composite material to the desired result, trim off any excess material and polish the final restoration.
What types of filling materials are available?
Several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold, porcelain, silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver alloy), or tooth-colored, plastic and glass materials called composite resin fillings.
The location and extent of the decay, cost of filling material, patients and your dentist's recommendation assist in determining the type of filling that will best address your needs.
How much should a tooth filling cost ?
A stich in time save nine this goes well with dental treatment expenses. An early detection of tooth decay and filling it with a restorative material saves you tooth from advanced and expensive root canal treatment.Most filling treatments hold stable prices in the following range 750 to 3000 for a single, silver amalgam filling 1000 to 5000 for a single, tooth-colored composite filling.
