Stop Decay and Restore your Smile with Discrete Composite Fillings

If you have never had a dental cavity, congratulations! Most of us haven’t been that lucky. According to the CDC, about 90% of adults aged 20 and above have had at least one cavity! Brushing and flossing your teeth are good preventive dentistry practices to protect your teeth from decay, but should a cavity sneak into your mouth, treatment is pretty straightforward. At Health 360 Dental, Drs. Erick Hosaka and Valerie Cassis use composite (tooth-colored) fillings to restore your teeth and prevent further damage.

The Dental Filling Procedure

If Drs. Hosaka or Cassis establish that your tooth damage or decay isn’t too extensive to warrant a dental crown or inlay we will recommend composite fillings. Before placing the filling, we will numb your mouth to eliminate any discomfort during treatment. Next, we prepare the tooth by removing the decayed part and cleaning the area thoroughly to eliminate harmful bacteria.

Once the tooth is ready, we fill out your tooth layer by layer with composite resin. We mold the filling to match your tooth’s shape and use a curing light to harden it in place. Finally, we will polish your tooth to achieve a natural-looking shine.

Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings

A dental filling restores the shape and function of your tooth. It also protects your tooth from further damage. While dental fillings are incredible in keeping cavities at bay, does any dental filling fit the bill? The short answer is no. Years back, amalgam dental fillings were the go-to option for cavity treatment, but these fillings have safety and aesthetic concerns. Today, dentists like Drs. Hosaka or Cassis have switched to composite fillings because they offer numerous benefits:

• Natural-looking: Tooth-colored fillings are created with composite resin, a material that can be color-matched with your tooth. Additionally, unlike metal fillings, composite fillings don’t cause tooth discoloration once installed.
• Stability: Composite fillings bond perfectly with the tooth, leaving no space for harmful bacteria to infect the tooth.
• Safety: Silver-colored fillings are known to expand and contract as temperatures change. Over time, this may cause the tooth to crack. Composite fillings remain intact even when subjected to thermal stresses. This way, you can take hot and cold foods without worrying about your teeth.
• Conservative: When treating your tooth with a composite filling, we preserve as much of your tooth, hence, maintaining your tooth’s integrity structure.
• Versatile: Whether you want to treat cavities in your front or posterior teeth, composite fillings are always perfect for the job. They are ideal for the front teeth because of their natural appearance, and they are suitable for the back teeth because they are strong enough to withstand the daily stress of chewing and grinding.

Taking care of your composite fillings isn’t cumbersome. In fact, it isn’t any different from how you take care of your natural teeth. Brush twice a day, floss daily, and see your dentist twice a year. While dental fillings are durable enough to last over ten years, always notify your dentist whenever you notice signs of wear and tear. Repair should be done immediately to continue protecting the tooth underneath.

White Fillings for a Beautiful, Cavity-Free Smile

Ready to overcome your cavities with tooth-colored fillings? If you are in Chevy Chase, Maryland, or its environs, please dial (301) 686-5255 to schedule an appointment with Health 360 Dental to enjoy our cavity treatment services.