How to take care of dental fillings?

Dental Fillings help regains the function, form, and aesthetics of decayed or damaged teeth. When you get a dental filling, you need to take special care of it in the short and long terms. By properly caring for your dental fillings, you can minimize the risk of further cavities and also prevent damage to your current dental fillings.

After the dental filling procedure, your anesthesia may wear off approximately in 1 to 3 hours. It is very important not to chew on the filling side to prevent biting tongue, lip, etc. until the anesthesia wears off.

Amalgam, Gold, and composite fillings may take about 24-48 hours to set.

Glass ionomers may set within 3 hours of filling, but it can take 48 hours for them to feel hard.

Ceramic fillings may set immediately with the help of a blue dental light.

Ask our dentist if you need to take pain medication to manage sensitivity. Follow our dentist’s instructions for taking pain relievers after a filling. Generally, sensitivity will improve within one week.

Avoid very hot or cold foods and beverages because they can disrupt the bond of fillings. Avoid hard, chewy, or sticky foods and, if possible, try to chew the food on opposite side of the mouth from where your filling is. Biting exerts more pressure on the teeth, and this can make them very sore after you get a filling. While chewing your food, take your own time and try not to bite all the way through and this can prevent your teeth from making forceful contact.

Brushing and flossing every day and after meals can maintain your teeth, fillings, and gums. If you can't brush after each meal try to rinse your mouth with water and increase your water intake. Try to avoid smoking and chewing tobacco because they can also stain your fillings and teeth just as tea, coffee and wine can. If you drink any of these beverages try to brush your teeth after having them to prevent staining.

If you have multiple dental fillings, ask our dentist to prescribe you a fluoride toothpaste or gel. Fluoride helps to strengthen your enamel and to protect your teeth from new cavities. Avoid toothpaste and mouthwashes containing alcohol because they can decrease the durability of fillings and even stain them.

If you are having a habit of grinding and clenching your teeth at night, you may damage your teeth and also fillings. Grinding wears out the teeth in the form of chips and cracks and can cause tooth sensitivity whereas nail biting, holding objects in your teeth and opening bottle caps are also bad habits. Try to avoid them.

Get regular dental cleanings and dental checkups from our dentist as it is an integral part of your oral health. See our dentist more often if you are having any problems in your dental fillings.

Everything You Need to Know About Root Canals, Crowns and Bridging

A root canal is a dental procedure that all of us are familiar with. Root canals are something we all dread, although when someone else is getting the procedure most of us find it to be somewhat amusing. When someone asks for a root canal, on the other hand, most of us, including dentists, find it to be very absurd, to say the least.

Root canals are a very common procedure these days, as they help to save the tooth by removing the dead or dying pulp. The pulp exists inside of the tooth, and can spread to an abscess if it isn’t taken care of. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth.

Decay is the main reason for pulp in the tooth dying. Once the decay has reached the pulp, it will keep eating away until the pulp has died. Once it dies, the toxins from the decay will be released into the root tip and make its way into the jawbone. If not taken care of properly, the jawbone can become infected, which can lead to death in rare cases.

To fix this problem, the dentist will need to perform a root canal. During the procedure, he will numb the area then drill a hole into the tooth. Using various tools and equipment, he will go down inside of the tooth and scrape away the nerves and dead pulp. This is a very effective procedure, although very time consuming as well. In most cases, a root canal can take several hours although it is the only way to stop the dying pulp and save the tooth. Even though it may take a long time - it is more than worth it when it saves your tooth from being extracted.

When a tooth is fractured, has a large old filling, or is severely damaged by decay, dentist may recommend the placement of a dental crown. Crowns strengthen and protect the remaining teeth structure and can improve the appearance of your smile.

Types of crowns include the full porcelain crown, the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown (precious & non-precious) and the all-metal crown.

Few incidents have a greater impact on dental health and personal appearance than tooth loss. When one or more teeth are missing, the remaining teeth can drift out of position, which can lead to a change in the bite, the loss of additional teeth, decay and gum disease. When tooth loss occurs, a dentist may recommend the placement of a bridge. A bridge is one or more replacement teeth anchored by one or more crowns on each side.