Filling cavities – characteristics, types, prices

Proven content

Filling cavities is one of the basic activities that a dentist performs in his dental office. Cavities are most often a consequence of untreated caries, which has caused visible and painful holes in the teeth. What does the cavity filling procedure look like? What types of fillings are currently the most recommended? Which are the most durable? Which are the best ones to choose?

Filling cavities – characteristics

Filling cavities is a method of treating teeth damaged by caries or as a result of mechanical injuries. Filling the cavities allows you to restore the correct shape of the tooth and its function. Before the dentist starts filling the hole in the tooth, he removes the tooth material altered by caries. There are two techniques for filling the cavities, i.e. direct and indirect. In the direct technique, the cavity is filled with plastic material immediately in the damaged tooth. The indirect technique, on the other hand, consists in the fact that the cavity is filled by prosthetic work performed outside the patient’s oral cavity. Examples of such fillings are veneers, crowns, bridges and inlays or onlays. Filling the cavities with a well-known filling closes the spaces in the tooth where bacteria can enter. As a result, the teeth are protected against a renewed attack of caries. For a long time, grayish or yellow cement was used to fill the cavities. Only in the 50s, an American scientist discovered the technique of etching tooth enamel with acid. It was this technique that allowed the dentin, enamel and filling to adhere completely to each other. Thanks to this, many different materials are used today, which significantly increase the aesthetics of fillings. The materials that are used to fill the cavities are gold, porcelain, composite resin and amalgam.

For everyday dental care, we recommend ApaCare Liquid, a remineralizing mouthwash for children and adults, which fills micro-cavities and protects the enamel against the harmful effects of external factors.

What is worth knowing about caries? Check: Tooth decay and its prevention

Filling cavities – what are the indications?

The basic indication for filling a cavity is mechanical damage to the tooth or changes caused by caries. If caries is the cause of tooth damage, the dentist must clean the diseased tooth by drilling the carious lesions. After removing caries and cleaning the tooth from biological remnants, the dentist seals the tooth, filling it with an appropriate material.

Do you want to know what dental treatment looks like in Poland? Read: Almost 100% Poles have tooth decay. Why do we not care for our teeth?

Filling cavities – what does the procedure look like?

At the beginning, the dentist checks the health of the tooth, assessing how extensive the cavity is and what treatment should be given. The dentist may then decide to administer anesthesia. Anesthesia is not always needed. It should also be remembered that in the case of a refunded service, anesthesia is an additional paid service. The anesthetic injection starts working within several seconds after the injection. The patient then experiences tingling of the gums and tongue and their numbness. The next step is the proper treatment of the sick tooth. The dentist removes caries by reaming the tooth with a specially adapted drill. This activity is commonly called drilling. Borrowing is a very unpleasant and painful part of dental treatment for many patients. However, thanks to drilling, the dentist cleans the tooth of food residues, saliva and other impurities. Properly performed drilling is a key element of the entire treatment, because its careless implementation may result in a quick recurrence of caries and much worse consequences. The final stage of caries treatment is filling the cavity, i.e. filling, hardening and grinding it.

How to deal with toothache outside the dentist’s office? Check it out: Toothache

Filling cavities – golden fillings

It is difficult to indicate the best type of filling for damaged teeth. The best type of filling depends on the patient’s possible allergies, the extent of tooth repair, the area in the mouth or treatment costs. One of the types of cavity filling is the golden filling. Such fillings are made in a laboratory and then cemented into the damaged tooth. The gold inserts are well absorbed by the gum tissue. Their unquestionable advantage is durability, as they can survive for over 20 years. This is why many dentists consider gold fillings to be one of the best choices possible. The disadvantage of gold fillings is the price. This is one of the most expensive materials, and the treatment itself takes a long time and requires many visits.

Find out about other types of seals. Read: Seal

Filling cavities – amalgams

Filling cavities with amalgams has been the most popular method of covering holes in the teeth for many years. Amalgams are metal alloys that contain mercury. Some people consider these seals dangerous to health because of the mercury content. In fact, the release of mercury is minimal and does not worsen the patient’s health in any way. It is worth mentioning, however, that amalgams are not used in pregnant women, children and people struggling with kidney diseases. One of the most frequently mentioned disadvantages of amalgams is their dark color. These types of seals are very visible and less aesthetic than porcelain or composite fillings. Therefore, they are not suitable for filling cavities in front teeth. Much more often, amalgams are used to fill cavities located on the back teeth, invisible at first glance. The advantage of amalgams is that the treatment is very cheap and, in the case of treatment with the National Health Fund, it is fully reimbursed.

Do you want to know more about amalgams? Be sure to read: Amalgam fillings – are they harmful? When should they be removed?

Filling cavities – composite resins

Composite resins are plastic fillings. These types of fillings match the color of the teeth, which is why they are mainly used in the treatment of cavities in the front teeth. This allows for a natural appearance of the teeth. The components from which the composite resins are obtained are mixed and placed directly in the filled cavity, where they then harden. However, it should be noted that composite resins are the best material for filling small cavities. Dentists are unlikely to recommend composite resin for patching larger holes or cavities. This is because composites are less durable and can crack or wear over time. Another disadvantage of composite resins is that they can become discolored as a result of contact with strong dyes that are found in food products. Therefore, they are not recommended for people who frequently drink coffee, tea or smoke tobacco products. The durability of composite resins is estimated at about 10 years.

Do you know what glass ionomer fillings are? Check: Glass ionomer fillings – when are these types of seals used?

Filling cavities – Inlay and Onlay fillings

Inlay and Onlay fillings are porcelain fillings. These types of fillings are made using an indirect technique, as the inlays are first prepared to order in the laboratory and then glued to the tooth. The fillings are fixed with cement. The color of these fillings can be adjusted to the color of the tooth, so they look natural. The advantage of porcelain fillings is that they are resistant to discoloration resulting from frequent drinking of coffee or tea. Porcelain fillings usually cover a large part of the tooth. Their cost is similar to that of gold fillings.

Find out more about composite veneers. Take a look: Composite veneers

Cavity filling – how much does it cost?

It is difficult to indicate a specific price for filling the cavities. The total cost of treatment depends on the type and size of the defect, the type of filling material selected and the medical facility where the patient decides to start treatment. If the patient cannot spend money on caries treatment, he should choose amalgam fillings, as they are fully reimbursed. A tooth filling with a composite material costs from PLN 120 upwards. This price may increase if the loss has been extensive. In the case of filling the cavity with porcelain material, the costs ranging from PLN 150 to PLN 160 should be prepared. Filling the cavities with gold is the most expensive. The current price of gold should be added to the standard price of the filling.

Do you know how much root canal treatment costs in Poland? Check: The price of the root canal treatment – what does the cost amount depend on?

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