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The material used to “fill” a tooth that has lost its structural integrity and function due to caries or wear is called “filling material”, in the process of removing the damaged tissues from the tooth and regaining its function and appearance.
This treatment method, which has been applied since the early days of dentistry, offers patients a treatment option that meets long-term and aesthetic expectations with the effect of developing technology on the materials used.
There are several ways to find out if you have cavities. _Visual inspection is one of these methods. Cavities may be seen as black or brown and they may be detected with the naked eye. However, cavities starting from the interfacial surfaces of the teeth detection is not possible to detect with the naked eye.
To find caries cannot be seen from the surface, radiographic controls may be required. In some cases, special dyes can also be used for caries detection. Restoring rotten, cracked, broken or worn teeth with filling is important for chewing function and aesthetics.
Anesthesia is not required in initial caries. However, anesthesia for cleaning deeper caries is necessary for both the comfort of the patient and the manipulation of the physician. The important thing is to provide painless and comfortable treatment to the patient.
Dental caries are cleaned under air and water cooling with diamond and steel-tipped burs attached to instruments that rotate at high speeds. Then, the tooth is filled and shaped again with filling materials.
Amalgam (grey) fillings have been used for many years. However, its use is not preferred today because the mercury in its content is toxic and causes fractures by leaning on the tooth in the long term, especially in large restorations.
The use of composite (white) fillings is not that old. However, with the advancing technology, aesthetic and robust fillings have been obtained, which are almost the same as dental tissues with their physical properties and are quite good compared to amalgam fillings.
Sensitivity may occur after filling. The tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods or heat. Often this sensitivity subsides within a week or two.
Try to stay away from things that cause sensitivity during this time. You should contact your dentist if you have hypersensitivity that does not decrease within two weeks. Explaining your sensitivity will help your dentist decide what to do next.
It is possible to reshape the filling or replace it with a new one. At the same time, the dentist may put a tooth desensitizing agent under the filling. However, root canal treatment may be required to solve the problem if the filling is deep.
Fillings are made to replace the lost tooth tissue after the tooth decay is thoroughly cleaned, but they are not caries-preventing. In inadequate oral hygiene, the filled tooth may decay again.
The aesthetic filling material is composite. It is malleable, hardened by halogen light and chemically bonded to the tooth.
Today, the aim is that the applied dental treatments are both visually and functionally satisfactory. For this reason, the main goal is that the fillings made are in the form of natural teeth in terms of shape and color, the boundaries of the filling are not clear, and the person cannot distinguish the filling from his tooth. It is used especially in broken tooth restorations in the anterior region, solving aesthetic problems and color mismatches.
With routine oral care, deformation does not occur in aesthetic fillings; there is no gap or leakage in the fillings. In your controls between 6 months and one year, your aesthetic fillings are taken care of, their polishes are renewed, and they are made to last much longer. In short, the life of the filling is related to the oral care of the person.
Inlays and onlays are a solution between fillings and crowns.
Inlays or Onlays are used in cases where there is not enough tooth structure to support the filling, and the tooth is not damaged enough to be covered with a crown.
Compared to inlays, onlays cover a larger area.
The life of the inlay or onlay depends on the material it is made of, the condition of the tooth it is in, chewing forces, and how much attention the patient pays to oral hygiene. They usually healthily continue their duties for decades. The maintenance of inlays and onlays only requires regular oral care, which includes brushing, flossing and regular dental visits.
Since inlays and onlays are prepared in the laboratory, the treatment takes two or three sessions.
At the first appointment, the caries are cleaned and the measurement of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth is taken.
The tooth is closed with a temporary filling material.
The measurement is sent to the laboratory.
In the second appointment, the temporary filling is removed.
The inlay or onlay is rehearsed and polished and adhered to the tooth using a special adhesive.
The closure is precisely adjusted and polished by the dentist.