Although we’re sad to admit it, most of us adults have had at least one cavity in our lifetimes. Some of us have had more than just one cavity, which means we’re all too familiar with the process of treating those cavities.
Cavities and dental decay are widespread oral health problems, despite most occurrences of decay being entirely preventable. When cavities develop in teeth, they eat away tooth enamel and leave small holes in their wake. If dentists don’t treat these cavities, they will grow and cause further damage.
At The Dental Care Center in Van Nuys, there is a straightforward and cost-effective way to treat cavities: dental fillings.
The purpose of dental fillings in Van Nuys is to repair teeth that have become damaged by cavities.
Cavities develop when food particles stay on your teeth long enough that bacteria in your mouth start to feed on the particles. When this happens, your teeth form a layer of plaque that hardens and eventually turns to tartar, which only professional dental instruments can remove.
When this plaque and tartar begin to attack your teeth, they will eat through your outer layer of enamel and, if left unchecked, eventually work their way into your tooth’s interior. At the beginning of this process, the plaque will create small holes in your tooth enamel.
These holes, or cavities, will cause significant damage to your smile if you don’t treat them. Cavities grow and will eventually infect the interior of your teeth, meaning you will need root canal treatment and possibly even tooth extraction. Chronic cavities can also lead to bone loss throughout your mouth.
Cavities can cause:
If you have a cavity in Van Nuys, CA, you need a dental filling right away if you want to protect your teeth. Contact our clinical team at The Dental Care Center to schedule your filling.
When you get a cavity, your dentist has to remove the decay and infected material to stop the disease from spreading.
Once your 91405 dentist removes the infection, however, your tooth will be weaker because it’s lost some of its natural structure and support. Once the decay is gone, your tooth will have less material than it did before and will feel more hollow, which makes the tooth susceptible to breakages.
Thankfully, this is where dental fillings come in. Fillings provide a way for your tooth to be filled with an artificial material that will help strengthen it and allow you to bite down while chewing without having to worry about breaking your tooth or experiencing pain.
Dental fillings in Van Nuys let you keep your natural teeth strong and healthy, even if cavities once attacked them.
Yes, you can largely prevent cavities by keeping excellent oral hygiene habits and sticking to a healthy diet.
Most cavities develop as a result of poor oral hygiene and general neglect of tooth health. Your teeth are resilient, but they cannot stay strong against a constant force of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacking. To keep your smile healthy and minimize cavities, you should:
Sometimes, even despite your best efforts, you may develop a cavity. Once you become aware of your cavity, you’ll need to schedule a tooth filling in Van Nuys right away. Contact our dental office at (818) 781-1533, and our caring clinical staff will take care of you immediately.
Two of the most common types of fillings available are amalgam and composite. Amalgams are being used less and less these days, with most dentists and patients preferring the more modern composite type.
However, you as the patient have the choice of which filling material you would prefer depending on your needs and lifestyle.
Dentists have used amalgam fillings for decades. These fillings typically have great success, given their low cost, durability, and resistance to wear. They are a good option for molars in the back of the mouth because they are strong and able to withstand the force of chewing. Typically, these fillings are a combination of metals, including silver, tin, copper, and mercury.
For all their practicality, however, amalgams come with some drawbacks as well. Amalgam fillings are a dark gray color, so they are not usually a good option where they would be visible in a person’s mouth.
If you have ever had a metal filling, you have likely experienced sensitivity to hot or cold for a short period after you received the restoration. Also, amalgam fillings have a tendency to expand and contract, which places a lot of pressure on the tooth structure and can eventually lead to fractures or cracks on the tooth or a broken, leaking filling.
Composite fillings have grown in both popularity and quality since dentists first introduced them to the dental community in the 1980s. Composite resin fillings are made up of microscopic-sized particles of glass or quartz and they match the color of a natural tooth, so they are virtually invisible. This makes them a good option for not only filling cavities that might be visible when a person speaks or smiles but also for repairing chips and cracks in teeth.
Another benefit is that composite resin fillings bond to the structure of the tooth, ultimately strengthening it—even under the force of chewing. Plus, we need to remove less of the natural tooth when the dentist is prepping for the filling.
These fillings are not conducive to hot and cold sensitivity, which makes them ideal for patients who already have sensitive teeth.
How will my 91405 dentist place my filling?Our Van Nuys dentists can usually place your dental filling in one short visit to our office. If your cavity is small enough, we can fill your tooth in as little as twenty or thirty minutes.
You will receive an anesthetic to numb your mouth before we begin your treatment. After the area around the tooth with the decay is numb, we use a small drill and other dental instruments to remove the decay from your tooth.
Next, your dentist will ensure that there is no bacteria or debris of any kind in the area. Once the filling material is put into the tooth, your dentist will trim any excess material and shape it so it is comfortable to bite down. The final, well-fitting filling will then be polished, and you will be free to go home.
It’s normal for the area around your tooth to stay numb for several hours after your treatment as the anesthetic wears off. You should stick to a soft diet for a few days after your treatment and use over-the-counter painkillers to manage any soreness or sensitivity.
The faster you treat your cavity, the easier your dental filling will be.
If you think you might need a filling, or if your dentist has confirmed a cavity in your smile, contact our dental office right away. We will get you in for treatment right away, and we can go over filling options with you to determine which might be best for your situation.
Your dentist in Van Nuys, CA provides tooth fillings to treat dental cavities. A filling saves your tooth and prevents the spread of tooth decay.
In our dental office, we offer two types of dental fillings:
Amalgam fillings are made of metals, silver, tin, copper, and mercury. These types of fillings have been around for a long time and have been deemed safe and effective following research.
These tooth fillings are silver-colored and work great for back teeth—or areas outside your smile line.
Composite fillings are tooth-colored and made of a resin material that bonds easily with your teeth. This material can also conceal tooth flaws, including discolored teeth, chips, and shape abnormalities.
While fillings take care of tooth decay, we always emphasize prevention. To lower your risks for dental cavities, you should visit your dentist every six months for an exam and teeth cleaning. It’s also crucial to brush and floss at least twice daily and more so if you indulge in cavity-causing foods and drinks like sweets, soda, fruit juices.
If you have a decayed tooth or have silver fillings that you’d like to replace with our tooth-colored composite, reach out to our dental office today.
We recommend bringing children to our dentist's office in Van Nuys by age two. If you wonder why we see children at such a young age, there are several important reasons.
The dental office can look like a scary place to little kids. It's not, of course, but lots of unfamiliar equipment and new faces can be a lot for a young child to take in!
So, we purposely make their first few appointments low-key and comfortable. Your little one gets used to the new environment at their pace so they can develop a positive attitude about dentistry right from the start.
We also urge parents to bring their children to their dental appointments to show them that visiting the dentist is nothing to fear.
While baby teeth eventually come out, their purpose is to hold a place in the jaw for permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too soon, the space meant for the permanent tooth starts to close. This can lead to tooth misalignment and crowding, which we want to avoid.
At each dental exam, our dentist in the Van Nuys area will examine their teeth for signs of cavities. If your child does need a tooth filling, we will schedule another appointment to perform the procedure.
We love welcoming children and helping them develop a positive attitude about dental care that will last a lifetime. Please call The Dental Care Center in Van Nuys to schedule your child's first dental visit.
If you're a new patient and want your dental cleaning performed along with your first exam, please let our staff know when you call to schedule your appointment.
We do our best to accommodate all requests; however, please note that our doctors and hygienists keep separate schedules that may not always coincide with your requested appointment time.
Another variable is what we find when we evaluate your gum health. If you have gum disease or periodontitis, we may need to schedule a longer hygiene appointment to provide the focused treatment you need.
If you have a regular cleaning, our hygienist will remove plaque and tartar buildup, brush and floss your teeth, and polish your teeth to leave you with a fresh, clean smile.
Along with your teeth cleaning, the services you can typically expect at your first dental visit include:
Each patient is different and has unique oral health needs and smile goals. If you need a follow-up appointment for further treatment, we'll schedule it at that time.
If you would like to schedule your next dental exam and teeth cleaning with us, please call our Van Nuys dentist's office at (818) 651-7206, so we can arrange a convenient appointment.
Dr. Peter Suh is a general dentist and owner of The Dental Care Center. A graduate of UC San Diego and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, he has been ...
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Dr. Anthony Guerrero grew up in Orange County, California, and received his Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA. After college, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University ...
Mark Yafai DDS, MD, is an oral surgeon at The Dental Care Center and has been with the practice for four years. He received his training at UCLA, receiving both ...
Dr. Feldman is a Canadian-born, board-certified orthodontist currently residing in Los Angeles, California. She attended dental school at the prestigious McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Upon completion, she was accepted ...
With The Dental Care Center for a decade, Inbo Cho, DDS, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University. He went on to attend the Columbia University School of ...
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