Between your at-home oral health care routine of twice daily brushing and flossing and the in-office preventive dentistry we provide at Southridge Dental with bi-annual dental exams and cleanings, you should never have a dental problem. Right? Well, we sincerely wish that were so, but the fact is most people do require some type of restorative dentistry treatment at some point in their lives. Perhaps the most common restorative treatment Dr. Ted Dunson and his team of dental hygienists and dental assistants perform is a filling for a cavity. But fillings today are nothing like what they used to be. Today, Dr. Dunson uses tooth-colored fillings Denton, TX, prefers, because they are strong, durable and unnoticeable.
Cavities, also known as dental caries or tooth decay, develop when the bacteria in plaque damage the enamel that protects the exterior surface of your teeth. Removing this plaque with brushing and flossing, as well as cleanings in our office, help to prevent cavities. And Dr. Dunson may also recommend fluoride treatments or dental sealants, which provide added protection against decay.
Nevertheless, when you do have a cavity, proper treatment is advisable as soon as possible. Without early treatment, caries can not only progress and harm the layers of your tooth beneath the enamel—the dentin and even the pulp chamber that houses nerve tissue and blood vessels—but the decay can spread to adjacent teeth. Treatment with a filling can prevent these complications, as well as the possibility of tooth loss.
Cavity Treatment in Denton
Dr. Dunson treats cavities with the mercury-free fillings Denton wants for health and aesthetic reasons. Mercury-free fillings, also called tooth-colored fillings, are made of composite resin materials. These materials can be blended to match the color of your existing tooth, so only you and Dr. Dunson will ever know you’ve had a cavity repaired.
Before removing the cavity, Dr. Dunson applies a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and surrounding tissue. Then, the decayed tissue is removed. Although a dental drill is required, a tooth-colored filling necessitates removing less of your tooth’s natural structure. So, that means less drilling, which is a good thing for you and your tooth. With more of the tooth’s structure left intact, the tooth is stronger. Once the decay is removed, Dr. Dunson fills the cavity with the composite resin material that has already been matched to your tooth. When finished, you have a tooth that looks and feels as good as new!
Schedule an Appointment Today
If you or another member of your family hasn’t seen the dentist in a while, then this may the time to schedule an appointment, so we can clean your teeth and Dr. Dunson can examine for evidence of tooth decay. We welcome patients from Denton, TX, and surrounding areas including lower Mound, Frisco, Plano, Richardson, Highland Village, and beyond.