Dental Fillings in South Africa

No one kind of filling is best for everybody. What is best for you will depend on the extent of the repair, whether you have allergic reactions to particular materials, where in your mouth the filling is required, and the cost. Things to consider for different materials are:

• Gold fillings are created to order in a laboratory after which they are cemented into place, and might last over twenty years.
• Amalgam (silver) fillings are fairly cheap and resistant to wear.
• Composite (plastic) resins are paired to be the same shade as your teeth, thus used where a natural look is preferred.
• Porcelain fillings are known as inlays or onlays and are created to order in a lab, after which they are bonded to the tooth. They may be matched to the tooth color of the tooth and resist discoloration.

If a fracture or decay has damaged a huge portion of the tooth, a cap, or a crown, might be recommended. Decay, which has reached the nerve, might be treated in two ways: through a procedure known as pulp capping or through root canal therapy.

If your dentist chooses to fill a cavity, he or she will first get rid of the decay and clean the affected part. The cleaned-out cavity will then be filled with any of the range of materials outlined above.

Only your dentist will detect whether you have a cavity that should be filled. During a check-up, your dentist will use a small mirror to check out the surfaces of every tooth.

Whatever appears abnormal will then be closely examined with special instruments. The kind of treatment your dentist decides on is determined by the scope of damage brought about by decay.

Indirect fillings are much like tooth-colored or composite fillings except they are produced in a dental laboratory and need two visits before being placed. Indirect fillings are considered when insufficient tooth structure remains to support a filling, but the tooth isn't so seriously damaged that it requires a crown.

Temporary fillings are recommended under the following circumstances:

• Following a root canal.
• For fillings, which need multiple appointments, for instance, before placement of gold fillings and for specific filling procedures (known as indirect fillings), which use composite materials.
• If emergency dental treatment is required (like to attend to a toothache).
• To let a tooth's nerve to "settle down" in case the pulp got irritated.