How to Tell If I Need Dental Fillings?

In our Santa Clara dental office, we are often asked if dental fillings are actually necessary for ongoing oral health. We understand that some people prefer to avoid receiving dental care. Whether the avoidance is due to the time or simply an aversion to dentistry, there are those that try to avoid care at all costs. Preventative care is critical for ensuring that your teeth remain healthy and intact for the rest of your life. Where your arm and leg bones are unlikely to break due to you skipping a physical, your teeth can actually have an infection, become loose and fall out.

How Dental Fillings Work

When it comes to dental fillings, it helps to understand how dental fillings work and why they are necessary. Most of the time, people get a filling because they have a cavity. Adults and kids can get a cavity at any time. Cavities occur when plaque forms on the teeth and creates an acid that begins to eat away at the enamel. The strong enamel will fight off the attack but eventually give way and a cavity will form. These cavities consist of tooth decay since the bacteria kills that portion of the tooth. You may not even be aware that this process is taking place and that is why visiting our office for regular dental checkups is beneficial. We can keep your teeth clean, identify cavities in the making, and provide you with prompt treatment.

Dental fillings become necessary as a result of us removing the decayed portion of the tooth. The tooth is similar to a house with the frame of the house in place to support the roof. If someone came along and took off a third of the supporting beams, then the roof will no longer be stable. At this point, it cannot come together properly with the rest of the house. The same is true for when we remove a portion of the tooth.

The remaining teeth will no longer be able to fit properly with that tooth. As a result, the individual may experience severe discomfort when eating and biting down. The only way to prevent this is by restoring the missing tooth structure.

The possibilities with dental fillings

We use dental fillings to restore the shape, size, and appearance of a tooth. We take the time to match the filling to the rest of the remaining tooth and get the ridges exactly right. Matching the size of the teeth is important for ensuring a natural bite and complete comfort when eating. Otherwise, the patient can have a sharp pain when biting down.

With that in mind, we consider dental fillings to be entirely necessary. They are necessary for ensuring that one can eat normally and for avoiding unnecessary discomfort.

Call our dental office today at (408) 247-3740 for more information.