Tooth-colored composite fillings repair decayed teeth to look naturally beautiful
At Innovative Dental Care, we love partnering with patients, adults, and pediatrics alike from metro Omaha, far-eastern Nebraska, and southwestern Iowa, including Council Bluffs, Elkhorn, Gretna, Blair, and Bennington. True partnerships are built on consistent and routine visits. With dental check-ups scheduled at least once every six months and as dictated by your needs and risk factors, we can avoid many oral problems that require dental restorations such as tooth-colored fillings and inlays, onlays, or crowns.
Notably, the biggest threats to our teeth’ healthy function and structure come from tooth decay and gum disease (periodontal disease). Decay erodes the tooth from the outside inward. Gum disease attacks the supportive attachments or soft tissues surrounding and protecting the teeth.
If we cannot restore the health of your tooth without altering it in some way or rebuilding the tooth structure, we may recommend treatment with a filling. It should be noted that our dentist, Dr. Summer Gutschow, emphasizes the importance of all teeth – even baby teeth. While these teeth fall out, it is essential to let them do so naturally. So, if the teeth must be removed due to decay, we may recommend the placement of space maintainers. In this way, there is something where the baby tooth used to be to help guide the erupting adult or permanent teeth into proper positions.
For older children whose teeth have been damaged by the likes of early childhood caries (early tooth decay), we may need to recommend dental fillings to rebuild the portion of the tooth that has been lost, and that cannot be restored with interventions such as the application of fluoride alone.
The process
Now, the process of placing tooth-colored fillings is primarily the same for pediatric and adult patients alike. If Dr. Summer determines that this is the best method to restore the health, function, and appearance of the damaged tooth, she will start the procedure by applying a numbing medication very precisely to the treatment site. We can also discuss sedative options (such as “laughing gas”) for you or your child to support utmost relaxation during treatment.
The diseased tissue is removed, and a conditioning gel is applied to “prepare” the tooth’s surface to accept the filling. The filling itself may be made from various dental materials; however, patients appreciate tooth-colored, non-metal composite fillings as they blend in so seamlessly with the rest of the tooth and the surrounding teeth. The placement of non-metals, such as composite resin or ceramics like porcelain, is also generally more conservative than the use of metals. Once the filling has been placed to quite literally “fill in” the cavity or hole created by tooth decay, Dr. Summer will “cure” or bond it to the tooth and then polish it to reveal its natural brilliance!
Heightened sensitivity represents just one of the “red flags” for cavities or tooth decay. Please do not wait for changes to occur in your mouth before calling us. Schedule your or a family member’s appointment at our office today. Innovative Dental Care can be reached at (402) 933-8005.