Dental Fillings In San Diego
If you suspect that you may have a cavity in San Diego, it’s important to get treatment right away from an experienced dentist like Dr. Ryan Wallrich at Harbor Family Dental. At our office, we can provide you with a gentle, pain-free dental filling that will restore your smile and protect your tooth from further complications. Learn more below, or schedule a consultation now.
Restore & Protect Decayed Teeth With Fillings
Fillings are the best way to restore minor to moderate cavities, and prevent further issues with your teeth. By getting a filling early, you can prevent complications like tooth infections, which require treatment with more costly, invasive treatments like root canal therapy and dental crowns.
We offer both amalgam and composite fillings at Harbor Family Dental. Composite fillings are tooth-colored and matched to the color of your teeth, so they look and feel completely natural. They bond tightly to your natural tooth structure and require the trimming of less enamel during the preparation process, so they’re a great option for filling front teeth.
Amalgam fillings are made of a mixture of metals including mercury, tin, copper, and silver. They are silver-gray in color, so they are not typically recommended for front teeth. However, they are very durable and strong, so they are ideal for filling rear teeth like molars, which are less visible when you smile and speak.
Signs You May Need A Filling
Not sure if you need a filling in San Diego? There are a few common signs that may indicate you have a cavity. You may notice that your tooth feels sore or sensitive when you consume hot or cold foods or drinks, or that it feels tender when chewing. Your tooth may also feel sensitive to very sugary foods and drinks.
In some cases, you may even be able to see visual signs of cavities, such as visible holes or pits in your tooth, or dark brown/black stains on one or more of your teeth. If you notice any of these signs, you should schedule a consultation at Harbor Family Dental right away.
The Filling Process
The process of getting a filling takes only a single appointment at Harbor Family Dental, and the procedure takes less than an hour, in most cases. To begin, Dr. Ryan Wallrich will clean your mouth and use spray anesthetic and a numbing needle to numb the treatment area, ensuring you feel no discomfort during the process. You can also request to be sedated during your filling, if you wish.
Next, Dr. Wallrich will prepare your tooth for your filling. Using a dental drill, he will trim away any enamel that’s decayed or damaged, exposing healthy enamel and removing the infected material. Then, the tooth will be cleaned, and the composite or metal-amalgam filling material will be applied directly to the cavity. Using special dental tools, Dr. Wallrich will adjust and shape the filling, restoring your tooth. Once the filling material has hardened, he will use a dental drill to make further adjustments. Finally, he will check your bite to ensure the filling fits into your mouth perfectly.
How Long Do Dental Fillings Last?
The expected lifespan for a dental filling will vary depending on your oral health, how well you care for your teeth, and the type of filling, as well as how large the filling is. Metal-amalgam fillings tend to last longer than resin fillings, and usually will last for 10-12 years. Composite fillings usually last between 7-10 years.
If you want to make sure that your filling lasts as long as possible, the most important thing to do is to care for your teeth and gums properly with great at-home oral hygiene. This helps prevent further decay from affecting your tooth, which could cause the filling to fail prematurely. Make sure to brush twice a day for two minutes, and to floss at least once a day.
You should also see Dr. Wallrich for an oral exam and teeth cleaning every six months. This allows him to check on your overall oral health and make sure your filling is still in great shape and does not require replacement.
Does It Hurt To Get A Dental Filling?
Getting a dental filling in San Diego from Harbor Family Dental doesn’t hurt. The process is completely pain-free and is minimally-invasive. Your mouth will be completely numb throughout the filling preparation process, so you won’t feel a thing.
In addition, we also offer sedation dentistry with oral conscious sedation. You can simply take a pill a few hours before your appointment as directed by Dr. Wallrich. Then, you will forget most of what happens during your filling, and you may even fall asleep during your appointment, ensuring you feel completely comfortable throughout the process.
Do I Need To Replace My Missing Tooth?
If you don’t get a filling in time and your cavity gets worse, you may end up with an infected tooth. While it’s possible to save an infected tooth with a root canal and a dental crown, this is not always an option for the most severe infections. You may need to have your tooth pulled in this situation.
If that happens and you have a missing tooth, you definitely need to replace it as soon as possible. There are a few reasons for this. First, a missing tooth can impact your self-esteem and self-image, particularly if it’s obvious and visible when you smile, speak, chew, or eat.
In addition, a missing tooth can cause your surrounding teeth to shift. The adjacent teeth tend to want to move toward the now-empty socket as a way to help fill the gap in your smile, which can ruin your smile and your bite.
For these reasons, it’s a good idea to explore your options for replacing your missing tooth. You can typically choose between options including partial dentures, dental bridges that replace your missing tooth by attaching to the adjacent healthy teeth, and dental implants that are surgically placed into your gum and jaw tissue. We recommend scheduling a consultation with Dr. Wallrich to discuss your options in more detail.