Dental Fillings Virginia Beach

Fillings

The main purpose of a filling is to repair a cavity and preserve the health of your teeth. Fillings also prevent decay from spreading further into the tooth. If your cavity is severe or in an obvious location, you may also want to get dental fillings in Virginia Beach for cosmetic reasons. 

Procedure

The first step in our dental filling process is to numb the affected area so that you don’t feel any discomfort during the procedure. The cavity is then gutted using a handpiece to remove the decay. Once the decay is gone, we will mold the filling onto the tooth using a flexible band. This helps to shape the new surface of the tooth. 

Composite Resin Fillings

Before we place composite resin onto the tooth, we chemically smooth and prepare the surface. Once the surface of your tooth is ready, we apply resin in a series of layers to fill the entire cavity. We use a special curing light to harden the resin layer by layer, which ensures that the resin is solid. Once the resin is fully in place, we shape the tooth and make final adjustments to its surface. We also check to make sure the new shape of your tooth does not interfere with your bite. Finally, we polish and smooth the tooth’s surface. 

Resin fillings offer superior strength, making them a great option for cavities. The resin bonds directly to the tooth, so it stays in place permanently. Resin also helps to protect the tooth and is extremely long-lasting. Another benefit of resin fillings is that we can match them to the color of your tooth so others won’t notice them. 

Amalgam Fillings

The preparation process for amalgam fillings is very similar to resin fillings. The difference between these two types of fillings is the material and application process. Amalgam fillings use a solid silver amalgam material, which we press directly into the tooth. We then carve and shape the material to give it the proper contour. Once the filling is set, we check the bite to make sure the filling is not interfering. 

Amalgam fillings last a long time and are very durable. However, they are more noticeable than composite resin fillings. There are some situations where your teeth may require an amalgam filling as opposed to a composite resin filling. This depends on the remaining structure of the tooth left over after the decay is removed. 

Post-Procedure Care

Once the procedure is over you may still have some numbness in the areas you got the filling in. Your tooth may also be sensitive due to the amount of material that was removed from your tooth. Tooth sensitivity should subside completely within a couple of weeks. If sensitivity does not decrease, come back to your Virginia Beach Dentist and we may need to adjust your filling so that it is less impacted by your bite.