Composite fillings last for an average of 5-7 years.
Dr. Thompson will perform an oral exam on your child’s teeth to look for signs of tooth decay such as discoloration, pain, sensitivity, or a hole in the tooth. X-rays can reveal cavities that can’t be seen with the naked eye. If the decay has spread too deep in the tooth, a pulpotomy will be needed.
First, local anesthesia is injected to numb your child’s mouth. They won’t feel any pain from the drill. If your child has dental anxiety, they can receive dental sedation if you let us know ahead of time.
Using a dental drill, we will remove the decayed portion of the tooth.
To prepare the tooth for composite fillings, the enamel will be roughened and etched by applying an acidic solution. This encourages the adhesive to stick to the tooth.
Composite resin is applied in layers and shaped to the tooth. It’s then cured with UV light. This hardens the filling instantly and then your tooth is polished.
A composite or white filling is the use of the same composite resin material that is used in dental bonding to fill a cavity or a damaged tooth. The advantage of composite resin is that it’s biocompatible, metal and mercury-free, and tooth-colored. By shade-matching the resin to your natural teeth, the fillings look completely natural.
This is a big difference between the old traditional amalgam fillings which turned your tooth visibly silver. There were also health concerns about the mercury inside of these fillings and many patients with metal allergies weren’t suitable for them.
With composite fillings, we can preserve more of your child’s natural tooth and the fillings harden instantly so you don’t have to wait 24 hours for them to set. This means your child can eat whatever they want as soon as the anesthetic wears off.
After receiving a filling, your child may experience temporary discomfort or tooth sensitivity for a couple of days.
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