What Causes Dental Cavities
In the field of general dentistry, dental cavities are caused by parasitic oral bacteria that have colonized your mouth. These oral bacteria feed on carbohydrates, especially sugars. When they eat sugars, they excrete acids, which attack your tooth enamel. As your tooth enamel gets eroded, it creates holes, or cavities, which can shelter bacteria and trap food particles that feed them.
Dental cavities are different from dental erosion. Dental erosion occurs when your mouth is acidic everywhere. This can occur when you get dehydrated, drink acidic beverages like soda, or vomit. Dental erosion removes enamel from all your teeth, resulting in widespread, serious damage.
Your saliva contains minerals to try to fight the processes of decay and erosion, but the decay and erosion processes can overwhelm the remineralization.
How Dental Fillings Work
Dental fillings reverse the damage done by oral bacteria. They literally fill the hole that was left by the decay, which prevents bacteria and food from getting stuck in the cavity.
First, we will remove all the weakened and damaged material around the cavity so that you have a strong foundation for the filling. What we do next depends on the type of filling we’re using.
There are two types of tooth-colored fillings that we can use. One is composite resin filling. This starts as a soft paste that can be spread into the cavity, then is hardened with a curing light that causes the resin to polymerize.
The other type of filling is a ceramic filling, sometimes called an inlay or onlay. This type of filling is custom-crafted to match the cavity. Ceramic dental fillings are more attractive than any other kind of filling, and they’re also more durable. To design a ceramic filling, we start by taking an impression of the cavity, which is done digitally these days rather than using the old impression material.
Once we have the filling in place, we will polish it, check the fit to ensure it’s created a tight seal, and test occlusion—how well your teeth fit together for chewing and other functions.
Why Tooth-Colored Fillings Are Better Than Metal
Metal amalgam fillings have been used for over 150 years. They date back to a time when harmful substances like arsenic, lead, and, yes, mercury were regularly used in medicine. They contain mercury, which is toxic, and we’ll talk about more in the importance of metal-free dentistry.
But these metal amalgam fillings also have potential problems. First, they’re unattractive. Not only do they start out as highly visible metal color, they often turn black, so that they look as bad as or worse than the cavity they filled.
Metal amalgam fillings also don’t bond to your tooth, so they allow penetration around the edges of the filling, resulting in the potential for secondary decay. Penetration around the filling can increase whenever you drink a cold liquid. As they cool, metal amalgam dental fillings contract more than your natural tooth material. This creates space around the filling, allowing liquid to get in.
But what’s even worse is what happens under the influence of heat. Then the filling expands faster than your tooth, causing cracking around the filling.
Actual Patient of Dr. Messer
BPA-Free Fillings
But mercury isn’t the only potentially toxic substance found in dental fillings. Some dental fillings also contain bisphenol-A (BPA), which is a known endocrine disruptor. BPA can disrupt the proper function of your body, especially affecting the growth and maturation of children. It can also affect brain function.
None of our fillings or cements contain BPA, helping to reduce your exposure to this disruptive chemical.
Restore Your Smile with Fillings in Rochester, NY
To learn more about the benefits of tooth-colored dental fillings and various dental procedures aimed at maintaining oral health in Rochester, NY, please call Contemporary Dentistry on South Clinton Ave between Elmwood and Westfall in Brighton at (585) 244-3337. Our focus on preventive care ensures your overall wellness and helps keep your smile bright and healthy by preventing dental issues before they arise through regular cleanings and check-ups.
