How to Give Someone a Filling

A filling is a dental implant that is used to fill the cavity in a tooth after your dentist removes the decayed portion of a tooth. When you go to your dentist for a regular oral check-up, your dentist may suggest a filling if there is a cavity in your teeth. You can also approach a dentist yourself if you find a decayed tooth in your mouth. Your dentist will follow few basic steps to give you a filling; however, scroll to step 1 to minimize damage if you are not able to meet with your dentist in a timely manner.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Personal Steps

Pain is sometimes experienced with tooth cavities. This occurs because of the depth of the cavity. To address pain, the patient may take over-the-counter pain relievers. These should be taken as needed and never be taken in excess.
2
Apply dental wax to sharp edges. The edges of tooth cavities are not always smooth; it could be jagged, rough, and sharp. The sharp edges can cause tissue trauma. There is a simple, temporary solution to this problem:
- Gently run your tongue along your teeth, taking note of areas with sharpness.
- Roll a small amount of dental wax, and place it over the sharp edges.
- Run your tongue over the area to check for any sharpness; if there are any sharp edges left, place dental wax on the area. Repeat these steps as needed. Application of dental wax is a temporary solution; the wax will fall off during use. However, it is a simple way to prevent tissue trauma while waiting for your dental appointment.
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3
Place temporary dental fillings. There are instances where a patient cannot visit their dentist for a permanent filling. During these times, the patient would feel bothered and uncomfortable because of the cavity. To address the cavity, they could use a temporary filling material which is available at most pharmacies. These come with simple instructions:
- Clean the tooth. Remove any food build-up at the area.
- Dry the tooth using cotton swab.
- The kit would come with an applicator; using this, scoop some temporary filling material and pack the tooth cavity.
- Gently bite to ensure the height of the filling.
- Clean any excess material around the tooth.
- Let the temporary filling set. Do not eat, drink, or bite on the area for the next 30 minutes to allow complete setting of the temporary filling.
The above three steps are temporary ways on how to temporarily deal with your tooth cavity while waiting for a permanent filling from your dentist. A dental visit and consultation is required even if you do not feel pain or sharpness, or have filled the tooth with a temporary filling. The dentist would replace these temporary and short-term solutions with a permanent and durable dental filling. A dental consultation could also prevent a serious injury or problem from occurring.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Dental Procedure

When you arrive at the dentist, he will follow a straightforward process to ensure that the permanent filling is effective. This procedure will include the following steps:

1
Locate the area of decay. The dentist will check the teeth that are decayed. If there is more than one decayed tooth on the same side, he can treat them in a single sitting with your consent. You will be informed about the number of cavities and the stage of decay. Depending on the extent of decay, the dentist will choose a specific filling material to best improve your oral health.
- If the amount of decay is unclear, a dentist may use an x-ray or caries detecting dye to get a full understanding of the decay's extent. Both of these methods are painless and harmless. Lasers can also be used as decayed tooth matter reflects light at a different rate than healthy tooth enamel; again, this test is painless and harmless.
An anaesthetic gel will be applied on the area where you will receive an injection of local anaesthetic solution. The gel reduces the discomfort associated with the injection. The injection numbs the tooth and the adjoining area so that you are at ease while your tooth is being filled.
While the numbing solution starts acting on your tooth, the rest of the mouth is covered with a rubber dam. A rubber dam is a rubber sheet that is fixed to a metal frame and placed in the mouth. A small hole is made in the sheet, and it is stretched down to the tooth that is to be filled. The idea is that it will prevent any filling material or tooth shavings from entering your throat or mouth, and help the dentist focus on the tooth that needs to be filled.
Using a dental high speed hand piece and diamond burs, the dentist will remove any previous dental restoration. They will also remove any decayed and unsupported part of the tooth. The tooth cavity must be cleaned and only sound tooth structure should be left.
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Tooth preparation. Once the tooth has been cleaned and only sound tooth structure is left, the dentist will add additional retention features as needed. These additional retention features would help retain the permanent tooth filling in a mechanical manner. Some retention features that could be incorporated as needed are:
- Convergent walls. The convergence acts as an undercut preventing dislodgement of the tooth filling in a vertical manner.
- Boxes. These are usually used on the proximal sides of the tooth. It prevents dislodgement of the tooth filling to the sides.
- Grooves. These help in assuring one path of insertion and removal of the tooth filling; thus, the tooth filling would not easily be dislodged. It is usually located along the sides of the prepared tooth.
- Pins. These are simple tooth preparations done on the floor of the tooth. It aids in retention of the tooth filling.
- Slots. These are long and slender tooth preparations done when there are insufficient walls to contain the restoration.
- Before filling the tooth, the dentist will make sure that the tooth preparation is smooth and there are no rough and sharp edges. Also, they will make sure that there are no unsupported tooth structures.
- Filling the tooth. After doing the tooth preparation and selection of the material, you are now ready to permanently fill the tooth with your chosen material. Remember that each material would have its own instruction on how to properly handle it.
It is one of oldest types of dental filling material and is still a preferred one due to its superior physical properties. There are specific guidelines regarding the shape of the cavity that a dentist has to consider if the filling is of amalgam. For the filling to stay within the tooth perfectly, the tooth has to be cut in a special box shape which may involve the removal of tooth material other than the decayed part.
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Composite resins. This is a tooth-coloured filling material that is gaining popularity because of its aesthetic virtue. This material is applied in a layer-by-layer manner, and each layer is set by exposure to a curing light. For a composite filling, the dentist does not need to create a specific shape of the cavity.
- After the complete removal of decay, the cavity is cleaned and composite resin layer is applied. Composites are an ideal type of filling material for front teeth and tougher mixtures with higher strength are available for back teeth.
- Gold and porcelain fillings. Gold and porcelain are materials with extreme durability. Gold is very expensive, which is probably the only drawback of gold filling. After shaping the cavity, the dentist has to take an impression of your tooth and send it to the lab. The gold or porcelain inlay (an indirect restoration that does not exceed half of the dimensions of the tooth) or onlay (an indirect restoration that is more extensive than an inlay and covers a cusp) is prepared for your tooth and sent back. This is fixed to your tooth cavity with the help of dental cement.
- Glass ionomers. These fillings are available in various mixes and consistencies; it could be thin or thick depending on the use. If used as a tooth filling, it is recommended that it has a thick consistency to ensure the durability of the filling.
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Check the bite and anatomy. Before dismissing the patient, the dentist will check the bite and anatomy. One has to ensure that the bite is just right and the anatomy is restored. This helps bring back normal function of the tooth.
- To check the bite they could:
  - Have the patient bite on an articulating paper. It is a coloured piece of paper that is used to take note of any areas that have a high bite.
  - Ask the patient for any feeling of discomfort. Because teeth are highly innervated, a patient could easily feel and sense if there are any changes in the height.
- To check for anatomy:
  - Run a hand instrument around the tooth checking for any overhangs or catch. If there are any, these need to be adjusted and corrected using a hand piece.
  - Visually inspect the inclinations of the tooth (the grooves and other physical traits). It must mimic a natural tooth. These attributes function as a natural spillway for food during chewing, ensuring that chewing takes place with a natural movement of the job.
9
Maintenance and Care. Your dentist will ask you to avoid eating anything for about an hour or so. If you are thirsty, you can have plain water after a 30 minutes. Coloured drinks may stain your filling if it is natural-coloured, so wait for over an hour before drinking to ensure that the filling is completely set before drinking dark or bright liquids. As well, the strength of the filling may be compromised if it is disturbed before complete setting. To ensure that the filling is maintained:
- Brush regularly using fluoride toothpaste
- Control intake of sugar
- Be careful when eating hard foods
- Maintain good oral health
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A decayed tooth, when left untreated, can lead to problems like toothaches, chewing difficulties or jaw problems, or serious abscesses. The bacteria present in the decayed portion of the tooth can proceed to the deeper layers of the tooth, causing irreparable damage.
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