If you’ve been to see us recently, and the dentist has told you that you need a filling then you might be wondering what this entails and exactly what it is you should do in preparation for this. The truth is fillings Stockwell are super common and most people will end up with at least one filling during their lifetime, if not two. Fillings can at first seem scary, but once you have a better understanding of them, you’ll feel much better about it! And with all that being said let’s take a closer look at them.

What Is A Filling?
A filling is material that is placed into the tooth to repair a cavity. These cavities are usually caused by decay. There are now a few different types of fillings Stockwell on the market and when you visit us we’ll discuss in more depth which type of filling we think is right for you.
Types Of Fillings
The most common type of filling is the amalgam filling, this is a silver coloured filling as is what is available through the NHS. This type of filling Stockwell uses a mixture of metals including: copper, tin and mercury.
The second most common is composite fillings, these fillings aren’t available through the NHS, but are far more natural in finish with the composite designed to look like the patient’s natural tooth colour.
Finally, we have glass ionomer which is also tooth coloured, but made from powdered glass, which forms to bond with the teeth and naturally then releases fluoride which is great for preventing further decay.
The Process Of Fillings
Usually what will have happened is that you’ll have had a check up and the dentist will have noticed signs of decay, they’ll then Xray/scan the tooth to assess how much the decay has spread and go from there.
You’ll be invited back to the practice for the fillings, in the majority of cases patients will have a local anaesthetic (the site will be numbed) then the dentist will clean out the decay using special tools. The time taken to complete this component will depend on how much the decay has spread. Finally, whichever type of filling chosen will be set into place. The whole process never usually takes longer than thirty minutes, however the anaesthetic could take a little while to wear off.
Aftercare
Once a patient has had a filling they should see signs of improvement straight away, especially if they had been suffering negative symptoms such as toothache. It’s important that patients work with us to understand exactly why they developed the decay in the first place so we can help them move forward and not have a repeat of this.
In the majority of cases, we see decay happens due to a lack of good oral hygiene and poor diet. Both of these things can be very easily addressed with a few small changes to a patient’s lifestyle. For more information on this or to ask any questions regarding fillings feel free to contact the practice via email or telephone.