Dental Fillings

Even if you have the best oral health habits, like brushing and flossing daily, you still might get a cavity, which means you’ll need to get it filled. A filling helps preserve and protect your original tooth structure and keep bacteria from getting into your tooth and causing more decay or an infection.

What is a Dental Filling?

You probably already know that a cavity is a damaged area of a tooth that develops a tiny hole or opening. So a filling is how we repair that hole to stop the decay and prevent bacteria from getting inside the tooth. A filling helps restore a tooth and keep it strong. Fillings are affordable and often quite unnoticeable. If properly cared for and maintained, a dental filling can last up to twelve years.

Why Do I Need a Dental Filling?

As your teeth develop and your mouth matures, it’s normal to see some wear and tear on your teeth. Even with good dental hygiene, bacteria can still build up on your teeth in the form of plaque. 

An excess of plaque leads to tooth decay in the form of cavities, the holes that develop in your teeth. If a cavity is left untreated, it can become infected and cause even greater damage that might lead to a root canal or tooth extraction. 

Fortunately, if they’re caught early enough, cavities are easy to treat with a simple filling. It’s another reason we like to see you twice a year. We can remove any plaque buildup and spot and treat cavities before they’re serious.

What Happens During a Cavity Filling?

The first thing we do is make sure you’re comfortable. Depending on the size of the filling, we may give you a local anesthetic to numb the area around your tooth so that our work doesn’t bother you. 

Once you’re comfortable, we remove the decayed and infected material from inside the cavity. 

Then we deep clean and sanitize the inside of your tooth to keep bacteria or a possible infection from spreading into the soft tissue beneath the hard dentin of your teeth.

Once your tooth is prepped and ready, we fill the cavity so nothing can get in. We use a special light to harden the filling, then we shape the filling so it aligns with your teeth and your bite feels normal.

Need a Dental Filling in Chicago?

Are you looking for cavity treatments near you? At Dentistry at Millennium Park, we are pleased to serve the patients of Chicago. We also offer emergency dentistry and urgent dental care for patients experiencing severe pain.

Call our office today for an appointment: (312) 750-9000.