One of the most common treatments for a damaged tooth is a dental filling. When a cavity forms from tooth decay or a tooth is injured, a filling may be recommended to restore the tooth structure. At Harlandale Kids Dental in San Antonio, TX, we can perform fillings for cavities and tooth repairs for our young patients to restore and protect their smiles.
What Is a Dental Filling?
Dental fillings are repair materials for the teeth. When a tooth is damaged by decay or trauma, the removed tooth material needs to be replaced to restore the strength and shape of the tooth. The longest-used filling material is amalgam, the silver fillings that many adults still have in their mouths. While this option is still available, the more desirable filling material used now is a form of composite resin.
Composite resin dental fillings have many benefits over amalgam. First, the material is easy to mold to repair teeth – it is like putty and can be used to fill cavities or repair a chipped tooth. It is molded into shape and then cured with a light to create a rigid, durable filling. A second benefit is that composite fillings do not contain mercury, which is in most amalgam fillings.
The last benefit is the color. A composite filling can be color-matched to your child’s teeth. This can keep their teeth white and stop the discoloration from metal fillings.
Fillings for Kids
Cavities are one of the most common problems with kids’ teeth. Tooth decay is an ongoing battle – prevention is critical, but if there are small cavities, we can quickly remove them and use a dental filling to repair the tooth. This is performed on both baby and adult teeth – you want to keep baby teeth healthy until they naturally fall out to ensure they do not cause pain or other oral problems.
Dental fillings for kids are not painful, and we ensure our patients are completely numb before performing a tooth repair. If your child needs a filling, contact us at Harlandale Kids Dental to schedule an appointment at our office in San Antonio, TX.