Are you putting off that filling because it just doesn't hurt? Tooth pain can mean some big trouble for your tooth,
so it’s best not to wait until a cavity has gotten large enough to hurt. In today’s blog, your Columbia, TN, dentist discusses how to conservatively fill a tooth before the damage becomes too great.
Why Do I Need a Filling Now?
There are three layers of the tooth. The beautiful white enamel, the yellow dentin which contains nerves, and finally the live pulp with nerves and blood flow. If a cavity is just within the enamel or the dentin it may not hurt. However, it does not mean that the cavity-causing bacteria isn’t spreading to other areas and threatening currently healthy spots. To prevent the decay from spreading to other teeth or to the deeper layers of the tooth, fill it now.
Root Canal Territory
If the cavity spreads to the pulp of the tooth, it’s root canal time. Once the live part of the tooth has been breached and the decay has entered the bloodstream, you now have an infection. If the infection isn’t removed it will continue to spread and could cause a painful abscess or worse. It’s best to just avoid this potential scenario and go ahead and get that conservative, cost-effective filling.
What Is a Filling?
We place tooth-colored resin fillings which are strong and durable. First, you are numbed for comfort, then the decay is removed with special tools, and the composite filling material is matched to your tooth. It is applied as a liquid and flows into the space where the decay used to be, it is then hardened with a light, and polished and shaped to mimic the rest of the tooth. You will hardly be able to tell if any work has been done to the tooth since it looks so life-like.
Restore Health to Your Tooth!
Let us get your tooth back to health before more extensive treatment is needed. We are here to serve you so give us a call at Creekside Family Dentistry in Columbia, TN at (931)388-3384!
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