Tooth Filling/Dental filling - White Cavity Filling

Tooth fillings are commonly used to restore badly worn-down, chipped, or broken teeth caused by trauma, nail-biting, or teeth grinding, or to treat a cavity due to decay. The dental filling procedure for a white cavity filling involves removing the decayed portion and replacing it with a tooth-coloured material. In some cases, the dentist may recommend the use of a local anaesthetic if he/she anticipates that there may be some discomfort during the decay removal process.

Dental Fillings

Dental tooth fillings are made out of a mixture of resins and glass fillers. These tooth-coloured fillings are able to match the shade and colour of your teeth exactly, making them a wonderful option. Durable and aesthetically pleasing, they are suitable for restoring small tooth defects.

Why do I need a dental filling?

Dental fillings are useful as they can help to:

• Restore healthy tooth function
• Restore dental appearance (aesthetics)
• Relieve sensitivity by insulating otherwise exposed inner tooth structure
• Prevent further decay by sealing off empty space from the bacterial entry
• Improve oral hygiene

White Cavity Fillings Procedure

Step 1: Check-up

We will check for signs of decay, the extent of the decay as well as cracks or fissures that might be susceptible to decay in the future. Our dentists will advise you if you have any teeth that need dental fillings or other treatment. A dental x-ray may be done to get a better idea of the condition of your teeth.

Step 2: Anaesthetic

If needed, the dentist will inject a local anaesthetic to numb the area around the tooth. A numbing gel on the gum may also be used to minimise discomfort from the injection itself.

Step 3: Removing Decay

Using a high-speed dentist’s drill, air abrasion tool, or laser, the dentist will remove any parts of the tooth damaged from decay. This should not hurt but you will feel the vibrations and pressure from the drill and other tools. The sound can be quite loud.

Step 4: Dental Filling

An acid gel will be applied on the surface to make the bond stronger. After around 15 seconds, the gel is washed off leaving a roughened surface behind. The dentist then applies a thin layer of bonding agent to the surface about to be filled. The bonding agent is then cured with a blue light to harden them. Depending on how deep the filling is, the procedure may be in stages, hardening one layer at a time. It has a putty-like consistency before it’s cured, so the dentist can press it right into the cavity and mould it to the correct shape.

Step 5: Shaping and Polishing

Once the dental filling is in place and the material has hardened, your dentist will shape and polish it to match the original tooth as closely as possible.

What Types of Filling Materials Are Available in the market

There are many products for filling teeth on the market today. Fillings are made out of gold, enamel, silver, and amalgam (mercury mixed with silver, copper, tin, and zinc), composite fillings, also known as a tooth coloured fillings (composite resins/composite resin fillings), and another substance, known as glass ionomer, also includes glass fragments. This substance is used in the same way that composite epoxy inlays are used. Gold filling is the most durable, and lasts over 20 years, but it is the most costly.

How often are fillings replaced?

Even though fillings are thought to be a permanent solution to cavity problems, they will ultimately wear out, come loose, or experience other issues. Most adults may require one or more of them to be replaced. There is no predetermined schedule that dictates when dental restorations need to be replaced. In most cases, dentists will not extract outdated fillings simply because they have reached a particular age.

Instead, they take into account the patient's dental practices as well as the filling substance. The most essential thing that they look for is any indication that the filling is no longer doing an adequate job of safeguarding the tooth from further decay.

How Long Do Dental Fillings Last?

There are various materials that are used for fillings, and some of them last longer than others. With proper care, some fillings, however, can last much longer. 

It is possible to increase the risk of developing new cavities under or around a filling by eating an unhealthy diet that is high in sweets and not cleaning your teeth thoroughly enough. 

If you chomp down on ice or confectionery that is too hard, the fillings in your teeth may chip or shatter. 

The term "bruxism" refers to the habit of clenching one's mandible or grinding one's teeth, both of which can cause dental filling materials to deteriorate over time.

Is it normal for my tooth to be sensitive after white cavity filling?

For large fillings/fillings which are very deep (near to nerve), there can be some inflammation in the tooth, making it more sensitive to contact. Sensitivity can also be due to a high spot on the filling that needs adjusting or possible degeneration of the nerve due to the close proximity of the cavity resulting in irreversible pulpits.

Sometimes it’s just a reaction of the nerve to the work that was done around it.

New dental fillings can also be sensitive to hot and cold liquids and other foods for the first four to six weeks, after which the sensitivity usually decreases. This is especially when the dental filling is very large or deep (near the nerve). During the initial healing stages, you may take a painkiller. If the sensitivity continues for an extended period of time or if the discomfort is extreme, call your dentist so that he/she can evaluate the situation and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Will my tooth hurt if there is decay?

Typical symptoms of tooth decay (cavities) include:

• pain when chewing
• sensitivity to hot or cold food
• bleeding around the tooth or gums
• swelling around the tooth

When the tooth has an infection, it means that the nerve of the tooth (the pulp) is inflamed, usually as a result of dental decay. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection or injury.

Initially, this produces a short sharp pain brought on by hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks; at this stage, it is still reversible. However, if left untreated, the inflammation progresses and becomes irreversible, and you may experience a throbbing pain of increasing severity. The pain usually lasts several minutes and can also occur spontaneously, particularly at night.

As irreversible pulpitis progresses, the pulp may die and you may experience some temporary relief of pain. However, a bacterial infection of the dead pulp can cause continuous intense pain that affects your sleep.

This can result in an abscess, which is a collection of pus, and you may notice a painful swelling on the gum next to the affected tooth or on the outside of the face. The tooth will be very painful to touch, and you may also feel unwell or have a fever.