Wondering how a tooth-colored filling could benefit your smile?
When a patient comes into our dental office, they may not even realize that they have a cavity; however, our Greensboro, NC, dentist Dr. Michelle Mottinger and her team of hygienists are easily able to spot cavities and treat them right away. How are cavities treated? With dental fillings of course. Of course, if you’ve never had a cavity before you may not understand dental fillings and why they are necessary.
What is a dental filling?
When you have a cavity, this means that there is decayed enamel that must be removed in order to prevent the decay from spreading deeper into the tooth. We can easily remove decay by drilling away the damaged enamel. Of course, once the decay has been removed, our Greensboro, NC, dentist will need to restore and rebuild the tooth. The best way to do that is with a dental filling.
What are the advantages of a tooth-colored filling?
While there are different materials from which to create a dental filling, these days our dental team often using a dental resin. The benefits of resin fillings are,
They match your tooth: Dental resin is completely tooth-colored and can even be matched to the shade of your tooth. This means that once we bond the filling to the tooth no one will even see it, including you!
They bond directly to the tooth: Resin is a putty-like material, which means that we apply the filling in thin layers. The layers are shaped over the area or areas of the tooth to rebuild it, layer by layer. The benefit is that this tooth-colored filling is then hardened directly to the tooth with a dental laser, which means that we only need to remove the decayed parts of the tooth rather than having to also remove some healthy enamel to make room for the filling. Tooth-colored fillings provide a more conservative treatment.
They strengthen the tooth: One of the main reasons to place a dental filling, apart from improving the tooth’s appearance after a cavity, is that it also restores and strengthens the tooth again after decay. This is incredibly important for the longevity of your smile, as weak teeth will only get weaker over time. A dental filling can renew your tooth and protect it from future problems.
Whether you need to schedule a simple routine cleaning with our Greensboro, NC, dentist or you think you’re dealing with a cavity, our dental team can provide you with the care your smile needs. Call us today at (336) 375-1825 to schedule an appointment.