Fillings by Dentists in Stamford Aren’t just silver
It’s that time of year. Between Halloween and New Years in Stamford, our teeth often take on an onslaught of sugar. And sugar leads to that dreaded word we hate to hear at the Dentist.
Cavities!
Bacteria in your mouth can be caused from frequent snacking, sugary treats and drinks, or not brushing and flossing. Sometimes the only time you find out about the cavity is when you go for your checkup and the dentist sees it in the X-ray. Sometimes it’s painful, sensitive, and you can see a difference in the color of your tooth.
No matter how or when you find it, a cavity is the beginning of the decay of the tooth and the quickest way to stop that decay is to get a filling.
Fillings have been in use for thousands of years. Beeswax and tar like substances have been found by archeologists to have been used as material for fillings long before the age of melting metals. Toothpicks were often inserted into the gums; it’s believed to “reduce swelling” before a tool was used to scrape and twist a tool to remove the damaged pulp of the tooth. OUCH!
That dreaded word is becoming a bit less scary now that we know what the past alternatives were.
Now, Stamford Dentists are filling cavities with a white resin instead of the old standard silver or amalgam. Not only are white resin fillings more attractive, they are also safer and present less health effects. Amalgam, used for years in fillings, was a mixture of tin, silver, copper, and mercury. Yes, mercury.
The white resin not only fills the tooth but helps to strengthen the tooth by creating a stronger, healthy, virtually chip resistant bond with the natural tooth.
Fillings take between 20 minutes and an hour to complete, depending on the amount of fillings that need to be done and how much of a filling needs to be placed. There is generally no pain during the actual procedure, and many times the only pain is if you require an injected anesthetic. You may experience some soreness if there was an injection after the procedure, but you should feel no pain in the tooth with the filling. If you do, please contact your dentist to ensure that you do not have further inflammation.
You can usually eat and drink right away after the procedure, but your dentist will let you know of any precautions you need to take.
All in all, the fillings by our dentists in Stamford are quick, painless, and get your mouth healthy again. Good oral hygiene keeps them that way.
No one will be the wiser with a resin filling. And because it’s not silver, you will probably forget all about it. Until next year between Halloween and New Years.