Understanding Composite Fillings

Treatment for tooth decay consists of your Suwanee-area dentist drilling out the decayed portion of the tooth and protecting it from more decay and accumulation of bits of food with the placement of filling material. A dentist will decide which material to use depending on the specific location in the mouth the filling will be placed. Some teeth can be filled with a durable and color-matched composite material, while others will require treatment with amalgam filling material.

Early varieties of composite fillings did not offer the durability of the traditional amalgam materials, but today’s technologies have made the composites just as affective and long-lasting as any other variety.

A tooth doesn’t need as much drilling out with composite fillings as it would with amalgam filling placement.

The dentist needs to be experienced to be able to apply composite fillings properly. The techniques required for the previous generation of amalgam fillings were not as challenging or particular as those for modern composite fillings, and it requires a specially trained dentist to get the best result. It is important to discuss this with your dentist to ensure that they can provide the best care.

The dentist will examine the area causing pain with an X-ray and visual evaluation. The dentist will then use drills and/or lasers to remove the infected tooth tissue after administering a local anaesthetic if necessary.

Once the damaged portions have been thoroughly cleaned the dentist treats the tooth surface with a disinfectant or sodium rinse so as to prevent any recontamination of the affected area.

The dentist then applies a dental bonding agent and puts in the composite filling material in layers while repeatedly checking the bite comfort of the patient. Before completing the procedure the dentist lightly reshapes the filling until the patient has an absolutely comfortable bite. Your Suwanee dentist then checks to see if the shape and cover of the filling material are proper then hardens the surface using a special light.