Fillers

There are several different ways to tell if patients’ teeth are decayed. One of these is visual inspection. The appearance of tooth decay is black or brown. Caries on the chewing surface of the tooth can be recognized by color changes. However, it is not possible to understand the caries formed on the surfaces of the teeth in this way.

Caries on the invisible surfaces of the teeth are determined by radiographic controls. In some cases, special dyes are also used by dentists to detect caries. It is important in terms of chewing function and aesthetics that the decayed, cracked, broken and worn teeth are renewed and treated by filling.

The decay in the teeth starts primarily from the enamel surface where the nerve tissues are not present. Patients do not feel pain in the first stage bruises on the enamel surface. However, when it reaches the dentin tissue, which contains the caries nerve tissues, there is pain against some stimuli. The progression of tooth decay to deeper tissues creates sudden pain. In this case, root canal treatment is required. Dentists recommend that regular checks be performed at 6-month intervals without waiting for the pain of the teeth and that the caries are detected at the first stage.

Anesthesia is not required in the filling process applied for first stage bruises. However, the procedure to be applied to caries in deeper tissues requires anesthesia in terms of patient comfort and physician’s mobility. The aim of dentists is to provide comfortable and painless treatment to patients.

Cleaning of tooth decay is performed by applying water and air cooling with steel drills and diamond burs mounted on high speed rotating instruments.

Some patients are afraid of the needles and the sound of the instrument used to clean tooth decay. In this case, the hard tissue laser is used. Thanks to the hard tissue laser, the treatment of children who are afraid of the dentist can be performed easily.

Gray fillings called “amalgam maktad have been used for years. However, due to the toxicity of mercury in the contents of gray fillings, it causes tooth fractures in the long term. Gray fillings have become less used today for these reasons.

White fillings, known as composite fillings, are widely used, although the past is not very old. Composite fillings, which have increased usage with the development of technology, are closer to dental tissue and are more robust and more aesthetic than amalgam fillings.

Composite fillers show curing at a certain wavelength of light. Thus, when the dentist finishes the filling process, the curing process of the filling is completed. However, if anesthesia is applied during the procedure, it is recommended not to eat until drowsiness has passed due to numbness in the lips, tongue and cheeks.

After filling, some sensitivities may occur and sensitivity to air, pressure, heat and sweet foods may occur in the tooth. This usually subsides within 1 to 2 weeks and ends.

In some cases, dentists want to follow the healing process of dental caries. Since the vessels and nerves in the teeth are exposed during the root canal treatment, in case of a deep caries, temporary filling is applied to perform the treatment. Temporary fillings do not have female protection properties like permanent fillings.

The tooth decay is completely cleaned before filling. Filling is performed to replace the lost tooth tissue. However, this process does not prevent bruises. In cases where oral hygiene is insufficient, the filled tooth may decay again.

• The fill itself must be replaced if the filler itself or the tooth holding the filler breaks during hard chewing.
• If saliva enters between the material used during filling and the tooth, adhesion may be prevented and the filling may fall.
• Filling cracks may occur during chewing and biting. Fillings can be broken due to habits such as grinding and clenching teeth.
• If the side faces of the sealant are incompatible with the tooth, decay, discoloration and sensitivity may result from leakage. In this case, the fill should change.
• If oral hygiene is not achieved, a second caries may develop in the tooth. Caries are treated by removing the existing filler.