Friday, July 3, 2015

What You Should Know About Dental Fillings in Chicago

Dental Fillings in Chicago
A dental filling in Chicago rarely starts with a patient that is looking for their teeth to get a filling, despite the fact that the gold fillings do look very snazzy. The reality is that most patients come in for a regularly scheduled checkup and we find that there is sufficient wear and tear, or decay, in a tooth that it requires a filling to keep the tooth viable. Occasionally, although rare these days, will we get a patient who is young or has been lucky with great teeth and has no idea what a filling is or why it is necessary. For the benefit of those folks, a dental filling in Chicago, or anywhere else for that matter, is exactly what it sounds like. A dental filling is a material that is used to replace the tooth enamel that has been damaged by decay to the point where a cavity has appeared. At other times, we will find what is known as a soft spot, where the enamel has almost given way to a cavity but not quite. We prefer to fill these as well since it is only a matter of time before the decay breaks through.
Considering that a dental filling in Chicago usually starts with an examination, we cannot stress enough the importance of coming in for regular checkups. The best rule of thumb is to try and make an appointment, and keep it, at least twice a year which allows us to find things like soft spots or identify areas that have excessive plaque buildup to prevent you needing a dental filling in Chicago
The first thing we do with a filling is to numb the area around the tooth so that you feel no discomfort. This is done by an application of local anesthetic directly into the gums. Once you are fully numb, you will not feel any discomfort at all but it is important to note that you will still feel things like pressure as we work on the tooth. After the tooth has been properly numbed, we can proceed to the actual cleaning. In order to make sure that we get rid of all the decay and that the decay has no chance of spreading or coming back, we will shave off all the portions of the tooth that have decay. While the dentist is removing this bad enamel, we will also take the opportunity to shape where the cavity had been so that it is a good shape for a filling. This will allow the filling itself to be more secure.
From this point on, the tooth is ready to receive the filling and we would go into any special preparations that might be required based on the kind of dental filling in Chicago you wanted to get. For a bonded filling, for example, the dentist would need to etch the tooth whereas some fillings require resin. If a resin is used, we apply it and then use the cool blue light to harden and strengthen it.


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