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Posts for tag: fillings
You dread the idea of getting a filling. Surely, that dark metal restoration will show when you smile. Isn't there a better way of saving your 
tooth? With tooth-colored fillings from your Silver Spring, MD, dentist, Dr. Susan Pearson, you can have a strong, healthy tooth that looks good, too. In fact, a composite resin filling is so natural-looking and seamless, no one will know it's there.
How decay happens
Whenever we eat, food residues collect on and around our teeth. That's why we brush, floss, and get professional cleanings. The alternative is plaque and tartar build-up, a condition which leads to dental decay. Thin or cracked enamel decays easily as well, and despite our best efforts to keep ahead of it, you may need a filling from time to time.
Treating dental decay
While some cavities require metal fillings (amalgam), most do not, and you can take advantage of a remarkable material called composite resin. Composite resin blends acrylic and glass particles for a filling material which is strong, long-lasting and realistic. Also, because composite resin bonds right to healthy tooth enamel, a tooth-colored filling needs less enamel reduction than amalgam.
Composite resin fillings take one appointment with your Silver Spring dentist. She'll numb the area around your damaged tooth with a local anesthetic and gently remove the decayed portions with handheld instruments such as a high-speed drill.
When she's finished with tooth preparation, Dr. Pearson begins the bonding treatment. Called an additive process by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, bonding actually layers the composite resin into to tooth. The dentist cures each layer with no-heat, blue light. As she finishes the restoration, she shapes the chewing surface of the tooth to occlude, or bite, with its counterpart on the opposing arch of teeth. As a finishing touch, Dr. Pearson polishes the filling.
It's remarkable
Yes, your tooth-colored filling will support your tooth, strengthen it and improve its appearance. To reduce stress on your restoration, be sure to avoid extra-hard foods, and wear a mouth guard if you grind your teeth at night. Your filling can last a decade or more.
If you need a filling, ask Dr. Pearson about composite resin and other innovative restorative materials. Call the office for an appointment in Silver Spring, MD: (301) 649-2203.
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