Dental Fillings
Dental fillings or restorations as we call them are a way to fix cavities and prevent the cavity from hitting the nerve in the tooth necessitating a root canal treatment. In most cases, our dentists will be able to detect the cavities that require filling in a regular dental check-up either visually or through x-rays. We have always been an MERCURY and AMALGAM free practice!
The process
We use tooth-colored fillings made of composite resin to fill cavities and to reestablish the tooth’s natural look, structure and function. Nano-fillers in these fillings make them look so good that they are almost indistinguishable from the real tooth.
Deep cavities might need an extra-layer for protecting the nerve inside – this is called a pulp cap. This pulp protection is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.
We recommend taking dental X-rays to see how deep a cavity is. Deeper cavities usually need local anesthetic to make sure that the process is completed pain-free. You can also request for nitrous oxide sedation if the procedure makes you anxious or you have an excessive gag reflex.
Our process includes 3 main steps that allow for a comprehensive treatment.
- A thorough evaluation which might include X-rays
- Anesthetic and filling placement
- Polishing and finishing and follow up recommendations
Please bear in mind that cavities which are very deep might need further treatment. There might be a need for root canal treatment in cavities which are very deep. What we usually recommend is that in border-line cases where the nerve is very close to the cavity, we wait up to 72 hours and then decide if further treatment is necessary.
Also sometimes fillings might not be the best solutions if the cavity is very wide or a large portion of the tooth is destroyed. In these cases a ceramic inlay or even a crown might be a better and more predictable choice.
Why choose New Ivory?
We use proven filling resins for all cavities. Most of our dentists use magnification either using loupes or the dental microscope to give a better finish to our fillings while preserving valuable enamel at the same time.
We also practice bio-mimetic dentistry which is a radical approach to save more tooth structure and re-establish function wherever possible to do so.