What is a filling?

Everyone knows that when you have a cavity to fix it you need to get a filling. But what exactly is a filling? Sometimes I can see that's a question people want to ask me but they feel self-conscious because they think they should know what a filling is already. First of all, there are no bad questions! Please feel free to ask me anything you don't understand about dentistry. Today's video will go into more detail about what a filling is what to expect when you go into a dental office to get a filling.
When you have a cavity there is a hole in your mouth where stuff is getting stuck. Our goal with a filling is to remove the decay that caused the hole and seal the hole up before it gets bigger and the infection reaches the nerve of your tooth. When a cavity is small it doesn't cause much sensitivity because it is not close to the nerve yet. But as it continues to get bigger the infection continues to spread and can reach the nerve, which is what often causes a toothache. So when we are doing a cavity filling we are removing those bacteria and the decay that is inside of your tooth and then filling that area with a plastic material (it is a tooth colored, white material in our office) that will seal the hole. This prevents food and bacteria from getting stuck in that hole and prevents you from experiencing sensitivity. As long as you are taking care of your teeth and fillings at home by brushing and flossing, that filling will prevent you from getting another cavity in the same area again.
The process for getting a filling is fairly simple. The first thing we will do is apply a topical anesthetic, which is like a jelly, to your gums around your tooth. This starts to numb the area so you don't feel it when we give you Novacaine to get the tooth with the cavity numb. Once you are numb, and you can't feel anything we are doing anymore, we remove the decay. We check to make sure all the decay was removed and then dry your tooth off really well. It's important that your tooth is very dry while we put the filling in because our filling material doesn't stick to teeth when they are covered in saliva. This is the challenging part for us because it's difficult to keep a tooth completely dry for very long. Once everything is dry we put the filling material in and sculpt it into the shape of a tooth so it looks and feels like it never had a cavity in the first place. Finally, we check your bite and make sure everything is nice and smooth.
After you have a filling done, it's normal to have a little bit of sensitivity for a day or two. If you've had a filling recently and the sensitivity doesn't go away after a few days, the cavity may have been very close to the nerve of your tooth. It's a good idea to speak with your dentist about what you are feeling as you may need additional treatment to avoid a toothache in the future.

[@manuelsanchez5916]

Wow your cute and smart😮

[@jordan12118]

I just got a filling yesterday and I have so many questions

[@johnr2084]

Hello Dr. Shalini,
Have you ever had any fillings or other dental work done on your teeth (veneers/crowns)?
Thanks,
Sarah

[@gabeesp9654]

Hello any information on implants ?

[@kanondillard6938]

My cavity broke the back of my tooth one of my molars and I no longer have a tooth but it is trying to grow back if you were to take a look at it you can see and how can that be fixed? It is very deep basically I just have a gum I havent seen a dentist my whole life and I'm very scared if its dangerous

[@namugayadaphneprossy9443]

Hey dr pliz help I.took my filling last thurday but now am.feeling.pain ..wat can.I.do
N.how to take care of it