Dental fillings are needed if you have a compromise in the structural integrity of the tooth. The tooth is a bodily organ that can serve the purpose of breaking down and initiating the digestion process for food you consume. They have a hard surface called a crown which is made of a durable substance called enamel. This substance is able to crush bones, glass, and other hard material but is no match for the chemical insults created by bacterial overgrowth and its by-products. Typically these are the things that are inspected for when a person goes to the dentist for a six-month check-up. When the acidic bacterial by-products react with the tooth chemically, then we have a situation where the structure of the tooth is compromised. This is called a cavity.
βA cavity is diagnosed once you go to the dentist for a six-month check-up.
This is when you get your teeth cleaned by a hygienist and inspected by the dentist. The dentist will test the enamel with his explorer to decide if there are any soft spots of tooth decay in your mouth. The dentist and the hygienist will work as a team and take X-rays to correlate the clinical exam with the imaging process. If the two coincide, then the dentist will let you know that you need a dental filling to solve the cavity problem in your specific tooth.
These are all ways to prevent teeth staining agents. But if you do need to have your teeth whitened, we can help. We offer bleaching trays as well as in-office bleaching therapies to get your teeth the whitest and brightest they can be.
Dental Fillings: How they are performed
Dental fillings are usually performed by a dentist with great skill and proper pre-planning. Usually, the dentist will start by assessing the patient mouth for any other abnormalities such as oral cancer, bacterial build-up, as well as abscesses. Once he sees the mouth is devoid of any of these processes, then he can begin with your dental filling. The dentist will use local anesthesia to block the nerves leading to your tooth in the area. This is to make sure you will feel absolutely no pain during the procedure. Once this anesthesia is in place, the dentist is ready to begin the dental filling. The dentist will remove tooth decay and compromised enamel with a dental burr. He will make sure that all decay is completely removed from your mouth in order to prevent further enamel compromise and bacterial build-up. Once the dentist feels confident that the decay is completely gone, then he can rebuild your tooth with a durable material such as amalgam or composite resin.
Types of Dental Fillings
There are multiple types of dental fillings that a patient can request in order to make sure their tooth structure is reinforced.
βAmalgam Fillings
These are an older variation of fillings that are used to make sure the tooth that has been removed by the dentist's dental burr will be replaced by something similar to the durability of the enamel of the tooth crown. `The amalgam filling is a dental filling that uses a metallic component to imitate the hard enamel of the tooth. This component is applied to the tooth and bound using a material to allow the dental filling to still to the tooth structure. It must be molded and shaped as to make it more comfortable in your mouth. This type of dental filling is older and not typically done anymore due to the fact that it is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye and not a tooth-colored dental filling.
βComposite Resin Fillings
These are the current recommendations for dental fillings. Composite resin fillings are the dental fillings that you think of when you have tooth-colored dental fillings. These are also a very durable and hard material similar to concrete that can bond with your tooth enamel. It is the most requested form of a dental filling that patients typically prefer. It is used to fill in cavities and reinforce the structure of the tooth.
Our Dental Amenities
Family Scheduling
Family Scheduling
We offer scheduling options that make it easy to bring the family!
Dr. Michael T. Jones is a dentist who has been practicing in the Raleigh area for decades.
Debora D.
What an experience! Was nervous about this appointment.. It's been a while....however, my first contact was with Rhonda who was fantastic! She walked me thru Covid protocol which put me at ease...she then set me up with hygienist Cheryl..who was amazing! My sincere Thanks goes out to all of them that made my day and took very good care of me.See you on my next appointment!
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Tass T.
I've been with Dr. Jones at the Smile Center for over 20 years. He has been awesome and ensure its a pain free experience. Michelle, Rhonda, and the rest of the staff is very customer oriented, polite, kind and have w excellent customer service. You will not have to contend with a long wait for service. They follow the guidelines for covid 19 to ensure staff and patience are safe. I strongly recommend anyone who want painless dental work and excellent customer service to visit this location. They make you feel like family.
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Sean K.
Originally went for an emergency dental issue, but they helped me square away other dental issues that needed attention. I really appreciated how safe their staff made the dentist office for the COVID pandemic - temperature checks outside, wearing masks until we entered the private room, hand washing and hand sanitizer everywhere. Thanks for such a positive experience here!
Dr. Michael T. Jones is a dentist who has been practicing in the Raleigh area for decades.
Debora D.
What an experience! Was nervous about this appointment.. It's been a while....however, my first contact was with Rhonda who was fantastic! She walked me thru Covid protocol which put me at ease...she then set me up with hygienist Cheryl..who was amazing! My sincere Thanks goes out to all of them that made my day and took very good care of me.See you on my next appointment!
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Tass T.
I've been with Dr. Jones at the Smile Center for over 20 years. He has been awesome and ensure its a pain free experience. Michelle, Rhonda, and the rest of the staff is very customer oriented, polite, kind and have w excellent customer service. You will not have to contend with a long wait for service. They follow the guidelines for covid 19 to ensure staff and patience are safe. I strongly recommend anyone who want painless dental work and excellent customer service to visit this location. They make you feel like family.
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Sean K.
Originally went for an emergency dental issue, but they helped me square away other dental issues that needed attention. I really appreciated how safe their staff made the dentist office for the COVID pandemic - temperature checks outside, wearing masks until we entered the private room, hand washing and hand sanitizer everywhere. Thanks for such a positive experience here!
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