Does It Take Long to Get Dental Fillings?

When your dentist informs you have cavities in your mouth that need dental fillings, you probably worry about many different things. Besides the choice of filling material you prefer, you also wonder how much time is required to get the cavities restored. Your concerns are addressed promptly if you visit dental fillings near you with any questions in your mind.

Getting dental fillings is a routine procedure in America and is a restoration job to fix the damages by tooth decay. In reality, fillings require less time to repair your tooth than the bacteria that worked overtime to leave you with permanent damage in your tooth. The dentist at dental fillings nearby will convince you that the procedure requires under an hour and is rendered painless as you receive local anesthesia when filling the tooth. As you are at the dentist’s office, you may also discuss the types of fillings you can have for repairing the tooth.

Dental Filling Materials

The dental office in Auburn will discuss various filling materials beneficial for filling your cavity. Widely used options among different filling materials are the following:

• Silver Colored Fillings: This filling material combines mercury, silver, copper, and tin. Silver-colored fillings are more durable than tooth-colored fillings while also being affordable than other varieties. You may express concerns about the mercury content in the filling material, but no clinical evidence is available until this moment to confirm silver colored fillings are harmful.
• White Tooth-Colored Fillings: These are a combination of glass and quartz particles with acrylic resin. The material is durable, but the dental filling cost may concern you because they are pricier silver-colored fillings.
• Gold Fillings: These are a mix of copper, gold, and other metals and incredibly durable while also being expensive. They are not tooth-colored and require fabrication in a dental lab after your dentist takes impressions of your tooth.
• Porcelain Fillings: These fillings are as expensive as gold fillings and also require fabrication in a dental lab after your dentist takes impressions of your tooth.
• Glass Ionomer Fillings: Another tooth-colored option is available with glass ionomer fillings made from acrylic and various glass containing fluoride to prevent cavities. They are often used for children’s teeth and are more expensive than silver-colored fillings.

How Much Time Do Dental Fillings Require to Set?

The material for the filling used by the dental office in Auburn determines how much time is required for the fillings to set.

Silver-colored fillings are set weakly in approximately an hour but require at least 24 hours before they are fully functional. Therefore you are advised not to have hard foods until the filling material has been set entirely.

If you have composite fillings or glass ionomer usually hardened with light, they require around two to 20 seconds to set for each layer. However, it helps to remember this filling material is applied in 1 to 2 mm thick layers.

Ceramic fillings are set immediately with help from the dentist’s blue wavelength light. The bonding adhesive holding the ceramic in place cures in seconds.

How Much Time Is Required for the Healing after Dental Fillings?

When you get dental fillings from Dr. Mark Summerford, most restorations heal quickly without problems. Your tooth feels sensitive after the anesthesia wears off but subsides within a day or two. Filling materials like silver-colored and gold have a period of post-operative cold sensitivity for a few days or weeks. You will likely not experience similar difficulties with composite or glass ionomer filling.

When leaving the office of the dentist in Auburn, you may inquire how you can reduce tooth sensitivity after the procedure. The dentist provides after-care instructions to help you manage any discomfort you experience from the process by advising you to:

• Eat on the opposite side of the mouth for a couple of days.
• Brush and floss your teeth gently around the dental filling.
• Stay away from scorching and frozen foods and beverages.
• Avoid acidic foods.
• Use desensitizing toothpaste.

You can contact the dentist if your bite doesn’t feel appropriate or if you experience any long-lasting sensitivity or pain. In such cases, dentists adjust the filling surface to improve your bite.

The dental filling procedure is relatively straightforward and completed in under one hour. However, you may require to spend some time with the dentist inquiring about which filling material is suitable for the cavity in your mouth to ensure your tooth is restored appropriately.