fillings

Dental fillings

Dental fillings can kill the bacteria causing tooth decay, and restore your smile to normal. They can also provide extra strength to your teeth to prevent them from chipping and cracking.

The importance of dental fillings

If left untreated, cavities don’t go away - they spread deeper into the tooth and can eventually require costly root canals or full tooth extractions. Dental fillings are a simple and effective way to stop the spread of tooth decay.

Fillings

What types of fillings do you offer?

Some of our traditional dental fillings include:

  • Gold
  • Porcelain
  • Composite / Amalgam.

These traditional materials are especially strong and durable. This makes them useful for filling your molars, which need to withstand the force of chewing.

Fillings

What’s the difference?

Newer dental fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds (called composite resins) are used on your front teeth where aesthetics are important. Depending on the location, and the extent of the tooth decay, composite resins can also be used on your back teeth. Composite resin fillings are usually more expensive than traditional composite amalgam fillings.

Fillings

Which filling is right for me?

Before your treatment begins, Dr. Sanchez will discuss your filling options with you. There are several factors he will take into consideration when deciding what is best to use.

  • The amount of healthy tooth structure remaining
  • Where and how the filling is placed
  • The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
  • The length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth.

Fillings

Can I get my filling in a single visit?

Depending on your situation, and the type of filling material chosen, treatment can take anywhere from one to three visits. We can break fillings down into two categories.

  • Direct fillings are placed immediately into a prepared cavity in a single visit.
  • Indirect fillings generally require two or more visits. Some examples of indirect fillings are inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, and bridges.

Fillings

Let’s keep your smile healthy

Have a toothache or a chip in your smile? See what Dr. Sanchez can do for you with our variety of effective dental fillings.

Fillings