Tooth-Colored Fillings – Forest Park, OH

A Natural-Looking Way to Fix Cavities

Cavities can be upsetting and painful, but with help from an experienced dentist in Forest Park, you can get the help you need to take care of your teeth! Most of the time when a person has a cavity, a standard filling will take care of the problem. At Kemper Meadow Family Dentistry, we help dental patients eliminate tooth decay and prevent further decay with composite resin tooth-colored fillings in Forest Park, OH.

Dentist providing tooth colored fillings

What to Expect When You Get a Filling

A filling is a common restorative dentistry procedure that many patients need at one time or another. Typical tooth cavity fillings take about an hour. This includes any time spent cleaning your teeth, inserting the filling, and discussing the filling either before or after the filling is inserted.

Pain Management

Before inserting a filling into your mouth, your dentist will render your gums, teeth, and adjoining skin numb to ensure your comfort during the cavity-filling process.

To do this, your dentist will rub a substance into the teeth and the surrounding area. Once this happens, then your dentist will inject you with an anesthetic that will further desensitize the area.

Rid the Mouth of Decay

Once it is in place and the pain management is taking effect, your dentist will get rid of the decay on your teeth. Your dentist will use a drill, laser, or air abrasion tool. You won’t feel a thing because the numbing agent applied to your gums, teeth, and cheek will help keep you comfortable. You can sit back, relax and let your thoughts drift throughout this portion of the filling.

The Filling Itself

Once the decayed material is in place, your dentist will put a filling material in place in the hole in your tooth. This part is important. If a hole remained in your tooth, bacteria would become trapped in it and you would develop another cavity in a quick period.

Once the filling is in place, your dentist will file the material so you can chew comfortably. Once this is done, you’ll still feel numbness in your mouth. You should not chew or eat anything hot during this time because you could accidentally cause an injury to yourself.

Once the operation is over, your tooth may be extra sensitive to hot and cold temperatures for a while after the procedure. This is normal! The sensitivity should wear off after a while.

Signs You Have a Cavity

You may have a cavity if you experience:

  • Pain when you bite down
  • A hole in your tooth
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Staining on your teeth (particularly brown or black staining)

Who Is At Risk

You may be at risk for a cavity if you:

  • Have dry mouth
  • You are younger or older
  • You frequently snack
  • You don’t brush your teeth properly or frequently enough