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Dental Fillings (Restorations)

Revitalize Your Smile your teeth to their natural strength and beauty with our dental fillings. Designed to seamlessly blend with your natural tooth color, these fillings not only repair cavities but also provide lasting protection.

Protect & Support the Structure of Your Teeth

Why Choose The Dental Team for Dental Fillings in Brighton, CO?

Protect your oral health in the long run from cavities and tooth decay with expertly applied dental fillings.

At The Dental Team, we offer exceptional dental fillings to repair damaged teeth, prevent further decay, and preserve your natural tooth structure. Using advanced dental filling materials like tooth-colored composite resin, we provide personalized solutions to meet your specific dental needs. Whether you need a new filling or an old one replaced, our skilled team ensures a comfortable, durable, and natural-looking restoration.

Dental Fillings Overview

  • Addresses cavities and minor dental issues to regain strength and functionality
  • Quick, minimally invasive procedure with local anesthesia for ease
  • Prevents additional harm by sealing out decay-causing bacteria
  • Strong and enduring, with multiple materials offering varied longevity

Refill Your Confidence

What are dental fillings?

Dental fillings are materials utilized to repair teeth that have been damaged by decay, fractures, or general wear. This treatment restores the tooth's form, helps avert further decay, and improves both functionality and aesthetics.

Fillings are available in various materials, each offering unique benefits. The selection of an appropriate filling type is influenced by factors like the location of the cavity, individual preference, and insurance coverage.

Patient receiving dental examination and treatment.

Personalized Options

Types of Dental Filling Materials Available

There are multiple dental filling materials, each with unique advantages. During your visit to our office, conveniently located near Brighton, CO, your dentist will help you choose the optimal filling material that suits your needs.

Composite Resin Fillings (Tooth-Colored Fillings) Made from a tooth-colored composite resin, these fillings blend seamlessly with your natural teeth and are ideal for front teeth or visible areas. They bond directly to the tooth structure, providing a strong and aesthetically pleasing restoration.

Glass Ionomer Fillings These fillings release fluoride to help prevent further decay and are often used in children's teeth or adult teeth with root surfaces exposed due to gum recession.

Indirect Fillings (Inlays and Onlays) Created in a dental lab, these restorations offer more strength than direct fillings and are ideal for teeth that need more support than a typical filling can provide but do not require a full crown.

Comfortable & Precise

The Dental Filling Procedure

The dental filling process is designed to be quick and comfortable, often completed within a single visit. Here's what you can expect:

  1. Preparing the Tooth – The dentist administers a local anesthetic to numb the area, ensuring a painless experience.
  2. Removing Decay – The tooth is thoroughly cleaned with an acid gel to remove decay-causing bacteria.
  3. Placing the Filling – The chosen restorative material is carefully layered and shaped to blend with your natural teeth.
  4. Completing the Restoration – The polished filled tooth results in a smooth and natural finish, free of rough spots.

The majority of patients in Brighton can resume their daily activities immediately after their appointment.

Dental sealants on white teeth model.

Alleviate & Prevent Symptoms

Am I a candidate for a dental filling?

While tooth decay can cause symptoms like pain or sensitivity, it is not always immediately noticeable. Regular cleanings and exams allow your dentist to detect cavities early, before other treatments become necessary. A filling may be needed if you have:

Tooth sensitivity or discomfort, particularly when consuming cold items, sugary snacks, or warm beverages

Noticeable holes or dark areas on your teeth

A rough or damaged filling that requires attention

Cavities found during a regular dental examination

Restore the Integrity of Your Smile

Dental Filling Recovery

Patients usually encounter minimal downtime after a dental filling procedure. Nonetheless, proper aftercare is key to achieving optimal results. Here's what you should expect and how to care for your newly restored tooth.

What to Anticipate After a Dental Filling

  • Numbness from Local Anesthesia – If a local anesthetic was used, numbness in your lips, tongue, and cheeks may last for several hours. Avoid chewing on the affected side to prevent accidental bites.
  • Tooth Sensitivity – Temporary sensitivity to cold foods, sweet foods, or hot drinks might occur. This is normal and should decrease within a few days. Desensitizing toothpaste can assist.
  • Mild Discomfort – Some individuals feel slight soreness in the filled tooth or jaw, especially with large fillings. Over-the-counter pain relief may be useful if needed.
  • Bite Adjustment Needs – If your filling feels too high or uncomfortable when biting, contact your dentist for an adjustment.

Caring for Your Dental Fillings

Avoiding further decay and maintaining your dental restorations are vital. Follow these steps:

  • Brush and floss daily, ensuring plaque and bacteria do not gather around the filled tooth.
  • Avoid biting hard objects, such as ice or hard candy, which could harm the filling.
  • Monitor for signs of wear, like sharp edges, rough surfaces, or sensitivity, indicating potential replacement needs.
  • Attend regular dental visits to maintain your dental fillings and overall oral health.

If your filling becomes loose or dislodges, contact us promptly for repair.

Healthy & Strong

Dental Filling Results

Following your dental filling procedure, the structure of your tooth will be restored. Once the local anesthetic fades, you can resume normal eating and speaking.

  • The filled tooth will feel robust and natural, allowing easy chewing.
  • Restorations that match your tooth color will seamlessly integrate with your natural teeth, remaining nearly undetectable.
  • The repaired tooth will be protected from future decay and fractures.
  • With proper care, your dental restoration can function like a natural tooth for many years to come.

Dental Fillings Frequently Asked Questions

Indicators that you might need a dental filling include tooth sensitivity, discomfort while chewing, visible cavities or dark discolorations on teeth, or uneven tooth surfaces. Dentists apply fillings to restore tooth integrity after identifying decay or small fractures during an examination. Ignoring these issues can lead to more severe treatments like root canals.

Thanks to local anesthesia, the process of getting a dental filling is typically free from pain. Post-treatment, some individuals may experience temporary sensitivity to cold or sweet foods, which usually subsides within days. Persistent discomfort might require a desensitizing treatment or minor adjustments.

Tooth-colored composite resin fillings are ideal for front teeth as they match natural teeth seamlessly. Unlike silver amalgam options, composites offer a natural appearance. Additionally, glass ionomer fillings can be beneficial for those needing fluoride release to prevent future decay.

If you've received a composite filling, eating is possible once the anesthetic effect fades since the material hardens instantly. It's advisable to avoid very hot or cold foods initially if sensitivity arises.

  • Direct fillings, such as composite resins or amalgams, are applied and set directly within the tooth during one visit.
  • Indirect fillings, including inlays and onlays made in labs, require two visits and offer greater strength for extensive damage repair than typical cavity solutions.

The durability of dental fillings varies by material and oral care habits:

  • Composite resin fillings – Typically last 5-10 years
  • Gold fillings – Can exceed 20 years
  • Glass ionomer fillings – Usually last 5-7 years

Maintaining good oral hygiene and regular visits to your dentist near Brighton helps extend their lifespan.

A filling might become loose or dislodge due to pressure from chewing, recurring decay, or wear over time. If this occurs with symptoms like sharp edges or heightened sensitivity, promptly contact your dentist for reapplication or temporary protection of the affected area.