What is a dental filling?
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A dental filling is a type of dental restoration which repairs damaged teeth, that can be caused by decay or breakage.
Cavities (holes) get bigger over time which is why it is important to have regular examinations, so that your dentist can spot these cavities sooner and fill them before you have problems, like toothache, bad breath, fracturing of the tooth or even the loss of the tooth
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I am anxious about having a filling.
If you are nervous about having treatment, please let us know when booking.
We will do our best to put you at your ease.
We also have experience in dealing with dental anxiety.
What’s involved in having a filling?
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Step
1
Your dentist will numb the area with an injection of local anaesthetic.
Step
3
The cavity is now clean, dry and ready for the next step.
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The dentist depending on where your filling is, may place a matrix band which helps the filling material keep the shape of the tooth.
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Placing the filling material, we use a nano-hybrid composite of filler and resin which mimic the natural make up of tooth tissue, and set it with a LED curing light that sets the filling hard.
Step
4
The dentist will polish the filling so it is nice and smooth.
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Finally, they will check your bite using a special paper that will mark your teeth making sure that your bite is natural.
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Why do I need a dental filling?
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Tooth Decay
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Tooth decay happens when the bacteria feeds on the sugars and starches left on your teeth by food and drinks, this causes plaque to form.
The acids in your plaque starts to soften then dissolves your enamel.
This causes tiny cavities (holes) which then grow bigger.
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Acid Erosion
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The enamel coating on your teeth can get worn away by acids in drinks (swishing the liquid through your teeth) and foods (fruits you bite into) .
Some medical conditions can cause this like reflux or hiatus hernia.
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Abrasion and Attrition
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This is where you can cause wear facets on your teeth by brushing to aggressively or grinding your teeth.
Chipping
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This can happen by either eating something very hard like seeded bread, or hard sweets.
You may have broken, chipped or a sharp bit on your tooth as part of an injury.
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