Bonding and Fillings for Your Teeth

Chipping or breaking a tooth can be very painful. It can also leave the tooth misshapen or with a sharpened edge that could hurt the inside of your mouth. Dental bonding and fillings assist in rebuilding the affected tooth with special materials. We at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group are proud to offer both of these procedures to our patients. We are committed to helping fix your smile when unexpected chips and breaks occur!

Dental bonding restores the natural shape of your tooth by using composite resin matched to your specific tooth color. In cases of accidental damage or minor decay, it is an inexpensive way to restore the look of the tooth to its normal healthy self. Dental bonding can also be used for protecting the roots of your teeth. Receding gums exposing the tooth root allow bacteria in easily, making them more susceptible to infection.

Dental fillings focus more on restorative efforts than cosmetic ones since they are stronger and more durable than dental bonding. This method also has a low cost, but is the better option over dental bonding in the long run. Whereas dental bonding fixes the outside of the tooth, dental fillings fix the inside of a tooth damaged from decay or a break. For back teeth, it’s better to use metal fillings so that it can better withstand the force of chewing. 

Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group is located on 1500 W 38th St., Suite 34, in Austin, TX 78731. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit fredrickshawdds.com or call 512-451-7491.

 

Causes of Filling Failure

Previously on our blog, we’ve discussed warning signs of a failing dental filling. Patients at the Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Center in Austin receive high-quality care, but fillings have a limited lifespan and sometimes need to be replaced. This week, we’re discussing what factors could cause a filling to fail.

According to newly published research, some of the most common factors in filling failure are smoking, alcohol, and genetics. While there’s nothing that can be done about genetics except increasing vigilance, alcohol, and smoking are two factors which cause a variety of oral health problems and are linked to the failure of other prosthodontics. Smoking is associated with higher rates of implant failure, and although the study only examined smoking in men, alcohol was found to increase the risk in both sexes. Of course, continued tooth decay was already known to contribute to filling failure. Another interesting result of the study was that white fillings do not have a higher rate of failure than old amalgam fillings, meaning that they are an aesthetically-pleasing alternative with little risk.

Frederick Shaw, DDS, operates the Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group at 1500 W 38^th Street, Suite 34, Austin, Texas, 78731. To schedule an appointment, call 512-451-7491 or visit Frederick Shaw DDS and fill out a contact form.

 

Pain around Fillings

Fillings are an important part of repairing damaged teeth, but they may cause some sensitivity. A bit of soreness immediately following their placement is not uncommon, but if the pain lasts, or if the area around the filling becomes sensitive long after the placement, the patient should seek further treatment.

A filling may cause persistent pain after its placement if it was misshapen and either prevents the patient from biting down properly or doesn’t completely fill the cavity it was placed in. Both these problems are easy to correct but will not improve on their own. It could also be that the decay the filling was meant to restore went deep into the pulp of the tooth, in which case a root canal will be necessary to remove the infection.

If a tooth with a filling was originally comfortable but becomes painful later, it may be that a second crack has developed, allowing bacteria to infiltrate the pulp of the tooth. It is also possible that the seal holding a filling in place has cracked, which can happen as it ages. Bacteria can take up residence in a cracked seal, contributing to tooth decay around a filling. In these cases, a more extensive restoration may be necessary.

Frederick Shaw, DDS, operates the Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group at 1500 W 38^th Street, Suite 34, Austin, Texas, 78731. To schedule an appointment, call 512-451-7491 or visit FrederickShawDDS.com and fill out a contact form.