Dental Fillings
Restore your tooth and eliminate sensitivity and pain from a cavity.
Prevent further complications, such as a tooth infection, with early intervention.
Composite fillings look and feel just like your natural tooth, providing you with a beautifully-restored smile.
We offer sedation at our office to keep you feeling safe and comfortable during your filling appointment.
Composite fillings are the preferred method of filling teeth at Origin Dental. Unlike metal amalgam fillings, they do not have a silver color, and they look and feel just like part of your natural tooth. They are made from a unique blend of dental resin and crushed glass.
With a composite filling, your tooth will look completely natural after treatment. This type of filling has other benefits, too. In most cases, composite fillings require the removal of less enamel while preparing your tooth, which helps keep your tooth strong. Composite fillings also bond very tightly to your enamel, so they are very durable and long-lasting.
You’ll need a dental filling if you have a cavity. The most common tell-tale sign of a cavity is tooth sensitivity. If your tooth feels very sensitive to hot and cold foods and drinks, or you feel pain and sensitivity when chewing, you may have a cavity. Your tooth may also feel more sensitive when you eat or drink something that’s very sugary.
In some cases, you may even experience a toothache. This usually indicates an advanced cavity that could be at risk of becoming a tooth infection. You should get help right away to avoid this complication, which may require treatment with root canal therapy.
It may also be possible for you to recognize the visual signs of a cavity, though you should still see Dr. Victor Tran to confirm that you have a decayed tooth. If you can look at your tooth in a mirror and see deep pits or holes, or a black or brown stain on a tooth, you may have a cavity.
If you need a filling, the process will begin with a thorough teeth cleaning from Dr. Victor Tran. Then, Dr. Tran will numb the treatment area to ensure that you feel safe and comfortable throughout the procedure. You can also be sedated during your filling appointment, if you wish.
Next, he will begin preparing the tooth by using a dental drill to trim away all of the decayed material from your tooth. Then, the cavity will be cleaned and sanitized to remove any remaining bacteria.
After the tooth has been prepared, Dr. Tran will apply tooth-colored composite material directly into the cavity, and sculpt and shape it to fill up the cavity. Once the overall shape is right, the composite filling is hardened with UV light and then trimmed with a dental drill to refine the shape further.
Finally, your bite will be checked by Dr. Tran, and any necessary adjustments will be made. Then, your newly-restored tooth will be cleaned, buffed, and polished, and you’ll be sent home.
No. Getting a filling doesn’t hurt at all. While the process does involve drilling away some enamel from your tooth, this will only be done on the outer layers of the tooth, so the process is minimally-invasive.
In addition to this, your mouth will be numbed by Dr. Tran before your appointment begins, so you won’t feel any discomfort throughout the process. He will use numbing spray and a numbing needle to numb the nerves below your tooth.
We even offer oral conscious sedation at our office. You can take a pill that will make you feel much less anxious, and may even help you fall asleep and forget what happens during your procedure at Origin Dental. Contact us to learn more, schedule an appointment, and see how we keep you safe and comfortable during your treatment.
At Origin Dental, Dr. Tran prefers to use composite dental fillings for treating cavities. These fillings use a tooth-colored resin that looks and feels just like a natural part of your tooth, and these fillings usually last up to 8 years. Over time, the filling may wear down, peel away from the tooth, or become damaged due to further decay around the tooth. This may cause it to fail.
However, it’s definitely possible to keep your fillings in great shape for longer than 8 years. The most important thing to do is maintain good oral hygiene. The most common reason for premature filling failure is recurrence of tooth decay in the filled tooth. This causes the filling to loosen and fail. By brushing and flossing regularly and eating a healthy diet low in sugar, you can prevent this issue.
It’s also important to schedule regular six-month appointments with Dr. Tran in San Diego. At your consultation, he’ll check each of your fillings and all of your other dental work to make sure everything looks good. If he notices a filling is worn out, he may recommend that you have it replaced, and you can schedule a follow-up appointment right away.
If you don’t treat a cavity, it will only get worse. Eventually, the decay will eat through the outer layers of your tooth and attack the pulp inside your tooth. This pulp is filled with nerves and blood vessels that keep your tooth alive. This means that the infection will kill your tooth if you don’t get the appropriate treatment, like root canal therapy.
Even if you maintain great oral hygiene, it’s possible for this to happen. That’s because cavities that are deep enough to form holes or pits in your tooth can trap oral bacteria and food particles, and it may be difficult to remove them even with thorough brushing.
Then, over time, the hole in your tooth will get bigger, making it even more likely that food and bacteria will continue to build up within the cavity. This is why it’s important to get a filling for a cavity as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the worse the situation will get.