Tooth filling is one of the most common and well-established dental procedures, however, it also has its own nuances and subtleties. We tell you what you should pay attention to, what filling to choose and how the filling is installed on a tooth at the ViDentis clinic.
Almost every person has had to deal with a tooth filling in their life. This is a simple and effective procedure, which consists of removing damaged areas of enamel and its further restoration using special compounds. The cost of installing a filling is low, so this treatment is used quite often.
Why do you need dental filling?
The first experiments with the installation of fillings were carried out before our era. Holes in the teeth were filled with resin and various mixtures. However, the archaic technique of filling teeth brought almost no positive results. Fortunately, today everything has changed dramatically. Modern fillings are successfully used to perform a variety of tasks, in particular for:
- functional filling
- aesthetic dental filling
- filling root canals
- temporary sealing of a damaged tooth
Types of dental fillings
Classic filling of carious teeth involves the installation of a dental filling without depulpation of the root canals. This technique is used for minor mechanical and carious damage to the tooth (superficial and medium caries) and is carried out in several stages.
When the dental pulp is damaged, in most cases it is necessary to fill the root canals of the teeth. In the case of milk and young molars, there are methods for preserving the functionality of the root - a biological method of treatment using calcium-containing preparations (tooth filling with calcium) or partial amputation of the pulp. This allows you to maintain the blood supply to the tooth and its vitality, which is especially important when it is in the development stage.
Depulpation involves removing the tooth root, cleaning and developing the canals with special instruments and filling them with artificial materials in order to eliminate the risk of developing inflammatory processes. There are various methods of root canal treatment. There is no absolutely ideal method, so the doctor focuses on a specific clinical case.
Indications and contraindications
Functional filling with aesthetic restoration (or without restoration of aesthetics) is performed:
- in the treatment of carious formations (initial, medium, deep caries);
- in case of damage to the hard tissues of the tooth as a result of injury;
- to replace an old crumbled filling.
Endodontic obturation of root canals is indicated:
- in the treatment of periodontitis, pulpitis (without the possibility of preserving pulp tissue);
- during preparation for prosthetics;
- after removal of the injured dead pulp.
Contraindications to sealing the dental cavity and root canals:
- Acute caries, other inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.
- Destruction of hard tissues (more than 30%) - prosthetics and dental implantation are recommended.
- Damage to the root system - extraction (removal of a tooth unit) is required.
- Cystic formations.
Relative contraindications to endodontic obturation are longitudinal fracture, root perforation.
Dental filling methods
All methods of filling teeth are based on the use of various materials, which have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, when choosing a technology, the doctor focuses on the individual characteristics of the structure of the root canals and the patient’s body as a whole.
Filling teeth with gutta-percha
Removal of the nerve of the tooth and filling of the canals, when the cavity is filled with a special paste based on gutta-percha with the addition of various impurities. Despite its simplicity and relatively low cost, this method of filling teeth cannot be called reliable and safe. It is often accompanied by a violation of tightness, the development of inflammation and allergic reactions.
Using a pin
Filling a pulpless tooth with pins is one of the most common techniques in dentistry. There are two types of pins (fillers): gutta-percha and metal. Filling tooth canals with gutta-percha is considered a more reliable and safe method. Even taking into account the presence of polymers, dyes and metal salts, such pins are biocompatible and do not cause allergies. Silver metal structures have good flexibility and can be installed in long and curved channels, however, silver is prone to oxidation, which can lead to inflammation. Titanium posts are better in terms of tissue compatibility, but they are very rigid and require the preparation of a special bed, which makes the tooth walls extremely fragile.
Sealers-sealers
Even gutta-percha pins for filling the root canals of teeth by themselves are not able to provide a reliable result, since they do not have antibacterial properties. To improve the quality of filling, dentists use sealers - sealants that ensure a tight fit of the material to the canal walls. There are natural (based on cement, zinc oxide, etc.), polymer sealers, glass ionomer cements and pastes based on calcium hydroxide.
Anesthesia
Filling without anesthesia is possible when treating superficial caries, but even in this case, patients often ask to numb the area. If dental tissues are damaged deeper than the enamel, an anesthetic must be administered.
Types of anesthesia:
- Applique. Used to superficially reduce the sensitivity of tissues. A lidocaine-based spray, gel or ointment is applied to the causative area. The drugs are not absorbed into the blood and act for 20-30 minutes.
- Infiltration. Designed to suppress the sensitivity of the dental nerve and adjacent nerve fibers of the periodontal tissues. The anesthetic is administered by injection and lasts for 1 hour. In some cases, two-stage anesthesia is allowed. The first injection removes the excitability of the nerve endings of the pulp, the second one deprives the tissue of sensitivity.
- Conductor. It is used for deep anesthesia of several units of the dentition at once. The drug is administered not into the site of inflammation, but nearby. It lasts for 2-3 hours.
One of the types of conduction anesthesia is intraligamentous (intraligamentary) anesthesia. In this case, the injection is made with an ultra-thin needle into the periodontal tissue.
Dento-comfort dentists practice all types of pain relief and use safe anesthetics with clinically proven effectiveness.
Teeth filling process
- Initial consultation, taking x-rays.
- Coordination of treatment methods and selection of the type of fillings to be installed.
- Anesthesia before therapeutic intervention (local anesthesia, sedation, in rare cases - general anesthesia).
- Preparation of damaged or caries-affected tooth tissues.
- Grinding and processing the surface of the filling for proper closure.
Filling temporary teeth (baby teeth) follows the same plan, however, in pediatric dentistry, more compatible and safe materials are used.
Filling of anterior teeth
In the case of front teeth, the aesthetic aspect comes to the fore, so the filling material must have the appropriate properties. Although the front teeth receive better hygiene due to their accessibility, they are also susceptible to caries. Installing a filling on the front teeth is considered a more complex procedure: it is necessary not only to give the filling the desired shape, but also to choose the right color. In most cases, filling of anterior teeth is carried out using compomers, as well as light composite fillings, which harden under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Be that as it may, in case of serious damage, it is impossible to achieve good aesthetics with the help of filling, so you often have to turn to orthopedic solutions.
Proper care
You can find out how much it costs to get a filling in our clinic on the website page. It is necessary to clarify the cost of the service; it is adjusted based on the required size and type of material.
You can extend the life of a restored tooth by following simple recommendations from doctors:
- carry out hygienic cleaning twice a day;
- visit the dentist every six months for professional cleaning of the oral cavity and removal of plaque;
- use interdental brushes and dental floss;
- If you experience pain, injury, or any anxiety, consult a doctor immediately.
It will serve the patient for a long time if he does not ignore the rules of dental care.
Installing a seal on a pin
More recently, it has become common practice in dentistry to install a filling on a post if the tooth is more than 50% destroyed. Thus, the technique made it possible to avoid prosthetics. Filling a tooth with a pin must be preceded by removal of the nerve. Then a special screw is inserted into the root canal and fixed with cement. The procedure is completed by layer-by-layer application of light-polymer composite materials. However, installing a pin does not guarantee reliability and safety. Over time, the cement breaks down, causing microbes to get under the filling, causing the formation of caries. Having chosen modern dentistry to install a filling, you are unlikely to encounter such technology.
Types of filling materials
| Material type | Varieties | Description |
| Cement | – Zinc phosphate – Silicate – Glass ionomer | Currently, of all types of cement fillings, only glass ionomer fillings are actively used, since they provide good mechanical and chemical bonding with tooth tissues. Zinc-phosphate fillings tend to shrink, so they are almost never used when filling teeth for caries. Silicate materials are considered toxic and also have restrictions in their use. |
| Metal | – Gold – Copper – Silver | They are distinguished by high quality and a very large margin of safety. On the other hand, amalgam fillings shrink over time and are not always airtight, which can lead to the development of secondary caries. Due to low aesthetic indicators, they are used for filling chewing teeth. |
| Composite materials | – Acrylic – Epoxy – Light-curing – Chemical-curing | Composite fillings are obtained by mixing organic and inorganic elements. Due to the noticeable disadvantages of filling teeth with composite materials (rapid wear and toxicity for acrylic ones, fragility for epoxy ones), the first two types of fillings are practically not used. Light-curing composites are considered the best: they quickly harden under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and can be used in any part of the jaw. The procedure is often called light dental filling. |
| Compomer | It is a kind of hybrid of glass ionomer and composite | Very aesthetic and high-quality fillings, which are most often used in the frontal region when restoring teeth after chips. Their only drawback is fragility. |
| Materials for temporary fillings | – Artificial dentin – Soft dentin paste – Cariosan (cement) – Vinoxol (zinc oxide based) | They are often placed during pulpitis to check the reaction of the tooth, as well as after filling root canals until a permanent filling is installed. Temporary fillings are also used when filling a tooth under a crown. |
Compomers
Compomer materials are based on photopolymerizable composite and glass ionomer polymers.
The composition is supplemented by:
- strontium fluoride, which strengthens dental tissues;
- silicone dioxide (thickener);
- iron oxide, titanium dioxide, which color the mixture in the color of the enamel.
To harden them, a UV lamp of a certain power is used.
Viscous packable compomers are not strong enough for chewing teeth, so they are recommended for installation in the smile area. Medium creamy and liquid-flowing materials are easy to apply, quickly harden, and are universal for the chewing and frontal parts of the dentition.
How much does the procedure cost?
The exact cost of dental filling is usually announced by the doctor at the initial consultation. The price will depend on the filling material used and the amount of work. Filling canals will cost more than simply installing a filling.
| Type of filling | Price |
| Cement filling | From 900 rubles |
| Glass ionomer filling | From 1,500 rubles |
| Filling made from a light-curing composite of the latest generation | From 3,500 rubles |
| Filling made from a chemocurable composite of the latest generation | From 2,500 rubles |
Possible complications
The only trouble when treating uncomplicated caries is the gradual decrease in numbness. During this time, doctors recommend refusing to eat so as not to accidentally bite your tongue and gums.
If the dental intervention was deep, the disturbed tooth may ache for 1-2 days. This is the norm. To alleviate the condition, you can take a pain reliever.
Signs of complications after filling:
- aching pain >3 days;
- low-grade fever;
- intense pain that is not relieved by analgesics.
The cause of the symptoms is the development (progression) of inflammation due to improper installation of a filling, incorrectly selected material, or infection in an open tooth cavity. If signs of inflammation appear, you should contact your doctor.
