A dental filling may be the right solution to restore a healthy smile if you have tooth decay or damage. At Fuller Dental in Burlington, NC, we are committed to providing complete, personalized dental care. For your convenience, we offer many types of dental fillings to address dental concerns and keep your smile looking and feeling its best. Dental fillings are one of the preventative care treatments we provide to the public in Burlington, NC.

Dental Fillings in Burlington

A dental filling can help restore a damaged tooth back to normal function and shape. Dentists usually use dental fillings as a solution for tooth decay. However, we can also use dental fillings to repair chipped, fractured, or worn teeth. The goal of dental fillings is to protect the tooth from any further damage and preserve the natural tooth to support your long-term oral health.

At Fuller Dental, we offer gold, amalgam, composite, and porcelain dental fillings. One of our experienced dentists will skillfully examine your teeth to determine which type of filling will benefit you the best.

Types of Dental Filling

• Gold fillings are custom-made in a dental lab and then cemented into place. While gold fillings are often the most expensive choice, many consider them the best filling material. Gold inlays are well tolerated by gum tissues and may last more than 15 years.
• Amalgam (silver) fillings are a more inexpensive choice and are tolerant to wear. However, a silver amalgam filling is dark, so they are more noticeable than porcelain or composite restorations. We do not suggest them for fillings in very visible areas such as front teeth.
• Composite resin fillings are custom-made to the exact color of your natural teeth, creating a more natural appearance. While white fillings may be less noticeable than other materials, they usually only last between 3 and 10 years and may not be ideal for large fillings as they may chip or wear over time. They can also become stained from coffee, tea, or tobacco.
• Porcelain fillings are called inlays or onlays. Your dentist will design them to match the color of your natural teeth. Then a dental lab will create them from molds of your teeth. Your dentist will bond them to your tooth for a secure fit. Porcelain will resist staining and cost the same as gold fillings. A porcelain restoration covers most of the tooth, making the filling nearly undetectable.

The Dental Filling Procedure

In most cases, we can place a cavity filling during a single visit to our Burlington, NC dentist office. This dental treatment will begin when we apply a local anesthetic to numb the area of the tooth. One of our skilled dentists will prepare the tooth by cleaning out any debris or decay.

Once the dentist removes all the debris and decay, they will fill your tooth with the dental filling material. They will use a special light to harden the dental filling. The last step is to polish and shape your tooth giving it a natural, lustrous shine.

Replace Metal Fillings

Do you have old, dark fillings that are impacting your smile or breaking down and coming out? Modern advances in cosmetic dentistry mean that you no longer need to suffer from unsightly and uncomfortable silver amalgam fillings.

One of our skilled dentists can replace an old, broken-down amalgam (metal) filling with a tooth-colored filling. They are a more comfortable and natural-looking restoration.

Dental Fillings FAQs

Do tooth fillings help cure sensitivity?

Tooth fillings can drastically reduce your tooth sensitivity issues. Filling your tooth cavity not only prevents infections from doing further harm but can also fill those holes that cause tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods. After a tooth-filling procedure, most patients report that their sensitivity goes away after a couple of days.

Can a dentist redo my filling?

It is possible for your dentist to remove your dental fillings and replace them for a number of reasons. It is a quick process that can renew your tooth or teeth, and add more support to an otherwise failing filling. If your filling is causing you issues, schedule a visit with your dentist for a second look and repair if needed.

Are dental fillings painful?

Modern dentistry allows your dentist to provide quick and painless dental filling procedures in a single visit. This means they are quick and almost pain-free. Your dentist does not need any needles or intrusive dental equipment to fill a cavity. We can administer local anesthesia as a topical solution. You might even feel that the most painful part of the process is the time when you are waiting for the anesthesia to kick in.

How many fillings can I get at once?

Technically, there’s no limit to the number of dental fillings you can get in one session. However, we recommend that you don’t get more than three fillings in one appointment. Your mouth needs some time to heal after getting dental fillings, and it’s better to spread cavity treatments out to heal up in between sessions.

How long does a filling take to heal?

Your filling should heal completely in about two-four weeks. After this time, you should no longer be experiencing any sensitivity or discomfort in the tooth that got the filling. If you’re still experiencing this or have new, sharp pain in the area, call our office right away.

Do I need a dental filling?

Fillings take care of tooth cavities caused by bacteria and decay. There are multiple ways to tell if you need a filling. Commonly, patients experience pain and sensitivity in a particular tooth. The pain can be throbbing, and you might notice that it worsens when you’re biting down or chewing with that tooth. You may get sensitivity when you’re consuming things that are hot or cold. With some cavities, you’re actually able to see the hole or the darker color of the decay on your tooth.

Schedule A Dental Exam at Fuller Dental Today

We offer a full range of general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry treatments to help improve your smile. We work with you to identify your dental issue and perform state-of-the-art dental treatments.

If you are looking for an experienced dentist you can trust, give us a call at (336) 290-7401, or request an appointment online today.