Fillings

Enamel is the hard protective layer of your teeth. It consists of calcium crystals and gives the beautiful white sheen to your teeth. The enamel layer can be damaged by acids from your food (erosion) but also by the acids formed by the bacteria in the dental plaque; caries. When the caries has reached the underlying toothbone through the enamel, the progression will be even faster. In that case, an intervention will be made by making a filling. 

When a filling is made, all of the affected tooth material (enamel and toothbone) is removed. This drilling can be sensitive and is therefore usually done under local anesthesia. This is always done by mutual agreement. When the cavity is deeper and closer to the nerve, the chance of post-operative pain is greater. Once all the caries have been removed and the surface is nice and clean, the resulting defect is filled. We usually use composite, a glass-filled synthetic resin available in different colors and clarity, for this purpose. The composite is chemically bonded to the tooth surface and is clay-like when applied, allowing it to be modeled into nice shapes. 

It is then hardened with a lamp. During this hardening process, the material shrinks slightly. If there is a lot of shrinkage stress, this can cause post-pain. Therefore, the white fillings are applied in thin layers so that shrinkage tension and post-pain are minimal.  

After finishing and polishing, the filling is completely finished so you can use your tooth again immediately.