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When you have a cavity, it causes a hole in the tooth to occur. We will need to remove the cavity from the tooth but what will they do about the missing section of tooth? It needs to be replaced with something which is commonly known as a dental filling. A filling will help to seal the tooth back together and will help to make it strong again. A dental filling can come in a number of styles including the following:

  • Amalgam (Silver fillings)
  • Composite (white fillings)
  • Gold fillings
  • Porcelain fillings

Most dental patients now prefer to use the composite fillings because they look like the same color as their teeth. They are white and blend in well with your existing tooth so other people won’t be able to notice that you have a filling in your tooth. If you have a filling in a front tooth, you definitely want to use composite material in order to blend the tooth together so others won’t be able to tell that you had some work done.

Just like your regular teeth, your fillings need to be properly cared for. The filling itself cannot get a cavity but the tooth that is surrounding the filling can get a cavity. You must still take care of your teeth by brushing and flossing them daily in order to keep them healthy and strong. It is also important that you have your older fillings replaced as they can become cracked. When a filling cracks, it opens the tooth up to decay. In most cases you will experience pain within the tooth if you lose a filling as the dentin of the tooth is now exposed.

What Happens if a Filling Fails?

If you end up having a dental filling that fails, you will need to come back to our Layton office for additional treatments. We can try replacing the filling if the tooth will allow it, or we will need to do additional treatments. For deep fillings that sit upon the root of a tooth, you will probably need a root canal. A root canal is used when the nerve becomes inflamed or infected. Patients normally find instant relief after a root canal treatment as the nerve of the tooth is removed and replaced. You will then need a dental crown to go on the root canal to protect the tooth.

Do You Need an Extraction?

How do you know if a tooth is dying and needs to be extracted? Our dental team will take x-rays of your teeth and the roots to determine if the tooth is failing. If the root is dying, or the infection under the tooth is spreading (abscess tooth), we will recommend a tooth extraction. When a tooth is extracted, it does leave a large hole in your smile. Dental implants are the best option to replace the missing tooth from your mouth.

What is a Dental Implant?

layton dental implantDental implants consist of three procedures. First, the tooth needs to be extracted and the underlying bone density needs to be measured to determine if it is strong enough to support a dental implant. We do have some patients that require bone grafts as the bone density is not strong enough to withstand an implant. One the jaw bone is prepared, we will install a titanium post into your jaw bone. The post will take place of the roots of a standard tooth. Titanium will bond with your dental bone, allowing your jaw bone to remain strong and hold onto the dental implant. Once the bonding process is complete, a dental crown is created. The dental crown will be attached to the titanium screw, creating a permanent tooth for your mouth. The dental implants are extremely durable and popular for patients that want to avoid dental bridges, or dentures.

The dental implant process can take one month or upwards of six months based on your bone density and how well your body responds to the titanium screw. Some patients will need more time if bone grafts are required. Most appointments will last an hour or 90 minutes based on how your body responds to treatment.

Call today and receive a free dental implant consult and $100 off dental implant treatments!