Stop Teeth Decay and Cavities with Fillings

Dental cavities are subtle because they aren’t painful. You may not notice you have them until you visit your dentist. While minor cavities may not bother you now, they can lead to a host of teeth problems if not treated. Fortunately, you can take control of your oral health by considering fillings from Downtown Dental.

Causes of dental cavities

At Downtown Dental, it’s essential to have your teeth checked regularly by Dr. Don Mungcal and our incredible dentists to check for cavities. Although we offer dental restoration services, these procedures are costly and time-consuming, yet they are avoidable if your cavities can be identified early enough.

While cavities could be genetic, below are the common unhealthy factors contributing to dental caries.

• Poor oral hygiene
• Consuming high sugary and acidic substances
• Failing to visit a dentist

Even though dental caries may not be painful now, if left untreated, they are bound to spread deeper into your tooth, reaching the nerve-filled pulp chamber. The result? An aching tooth that needs a root canal, or worse yet, extraction if it’s extensively decayed.

Tooth-colored fillings to treat cavities

If you have cavities, you don’t have to wait until they morph into bigger holes. Dental fillings from our office can help stop the deterioration. While dental fillings can be made from many materials, we use tooth-colored fillings to fix your cavities.

Silver or “amalgam” fillings are the old way of correcting cavities. They’re strong and inexpensive, but patients with metal allergies may find amalgam fillings uncomfortable. Also, over time, silver fillings contain mercury which can leak into your bloodstream. In addition, they don’t look natural.

For these reasons, we use tooth-colored fillings for the reasons below:

• They closely resemble your natural teeth.
• Tooth-colored filling material bonds perfectly with the tooth, reducing the chances of sticking out.
• Unlike metal fillings, the tooth-colored filling material isn’t susceptible to expanding and contracting with temperature changes which lead to small cracks.

Although tooth-colored fillings cost more than amalgam fillings, they are worth every penny. With this material, you will gain a natural finish and a solution that will last a long time.

Tooth filling procedure

When your dentist tells you that your teeth need filling, there is nothing to worry about. Think of it this way: the procedure (when done properly) saves you from spending unnecessary money in the future on costly and more extensive restorative procedures.

A filling is straightforward. Expect to spend about an hour or less with your dentist (depending on how many fillings you are having done at once). The procedure may start with Dr. Mungcal (or our highly trained associate dentists) requesting your dental X-ray images so that they can have an all-around view of your teeth. Then, they will numb your gums to make the procedure painless. Next, they will remove the decay and sanitize it before placing the filling. Finally, the doctors will test your bite and polish your fillings to give you a natural look.

Are dental fillings painful?

A filling is a minor treatment that doesn’t cause any pain and more importantly is nothing in comparison of the pain of leaving a decayed tooth untreated. Before the filling procedure starts, our dentists use anesthesia to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. If you feel any pain, discomfort, etc during the procedure, we will stop and assess your needs before continuing. Once the procedure is over, your mouth may feel numb for a few hours, but this should wear off naturally.

Tooth-colored fillings in Los Angeles, California

Would you like to get rid of your cavities with natural-looking dental fillings? Please dial 213-863-9464 to book an appointment with Dr. Don Mungcal or our amazing associate doctors at Downtown Dental, serving residents in and around Los Angeles, California.

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