Dr. Damien Garcia and Dr. Lisa Gortari provide dental fillings in McAllen, Texas, to repair damage caused by cavities or minor cracking, so that you can once again enjoy a pain-free and completely functional smile. We invite you to call Oasis Family Dental at 956-661-1000 to learn more about dental fillings and to make your appointment with our friendly dentists.
To treat a cavity, your dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then “fill” the area in the tooth where the decayed material was removed.
Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth, and teeth that have been worn down from misuse (such as from nail-biting or tooth grinding).
What Types of Filling Materials Are Available?
Today, several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold, porcelain, or silver amalgam, which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper. Or the dentist may use tooth-colored, plastic and glass materials called composite resin fillings. The location and extent of the decay, and your dentist’s recommendation will help you to determine the type of filling that is best for you.
Problems with Dental Fillings
Tooth Pain and Sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a few weeks. During this time, avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not required.
Contact your dentist if the sensitivity does not subside within two to four weeks or if your tooth is extremely sensitive. He or she may recommend a desensitizing toothpaste, apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth, or possibly suggest a root canal procedure.
Pain around your fillings can also occur. If you experience pain when you bite, the filling may be interfering with your bite. You will need to return to your dentist and have the filling reshaped. If you experience pain when your teeth touch, that pain is likely caused by the contact between two different metal surfaces. For example, the silver amalgam in a newly filled tooth contacting a gold crown on another tooth can cause discomfort. This pain should resolve on its own within a short period of time.
If the decay was very deep or close to the pulp of the tooth, you may experience a “toothache-type” pain. This “toothache” response may indicate this tissue is no longer healthy. If this is the case, a root canal may be required.
Sometimes, people experience what is known as referred pain, which is pain or sensitivity in teeth other than the one that received the filling. With referred pain, there is likely nothing wrong with your teeth. The filled tooth is simply passing along “pain signals” it is receiving to other teeth. This pain should decrease on its own in one or two weeks.
Contact Oasis Family Dental for more information about dental fillings, and to make an appointment with our dentists.