Preventing and Fixing Cavities with Dental Sealants and Fillings

Sometimes decay can get the best of us, causing some damage to our teeth and causing some pain here and there. It can also lead to unsightly teeth, with discoloration, bleeding, or other issues.

Addressing these issues, or even better, preventing them altogether are not as difficult as one might think. Dental sealants and fillings can be used to protect, repair, and strengthen teeth, and they can be done in just a single visit to the dentist.

Dental Sealants in Houston

The back teeth of our mouth, known as molars, have grooves and divots that aid in the crushing, grinding, and tearing of food. The rough surface of the tops of the teeth make short work of the food, bringing it down to a more manageable size.

The downside to these rough surfaces is that they make it easy to hide bacteria. Even the best toothbrushes might not get all of the bacteria that likes to cling to the gulleys of your teeth.

That’s why getting dental sealants in Houston is important. Dental sealants are a preventative form of dentistry that proactively targets the grooves in the molars and seals them up to keep bacteria from latching onto the teeth.

The sealant smooths out the surface and makes it a lot easier to brush the bacteria away and cleanse the teeth with mouth rinse.

Sealants are typically made from one of two materials:

●     glass ionomer, which is less common and requires a polyacrylic acid conditioner in order to bond to the teeth

●     composite resin, which bond to the teeth on their own and don’t require the acid conditioner

Once bonded to the teeth, both the glass ionomer and composite resin will harden within the grooves, smoothing the top layer of the tooth out.

Since bacteria is much less likely to grow in an area that is more easily brushed, it reduces the likelihood of developing cavities.

Some sealants also come infused with a fluoride mixture to help repair and strengthen the mineral layer around teeth. Properly sealed teeth will remain protected for up to five or ten years on average, and even longer with proper care.

Dental Fillings in Houston

When teeth aren’t sealed, or teeth can’t be sealed, and are subjected to a continuous growth of bacteria, the bacteria will wear away the protective mineral layer of the tooth, then begin damaging the enamel.

When the enamel is damaged, it cannot be replenished, and if the damage runs deep enough, it will start affecting the dentin, which is a softer layer inside the tooth. This can become painful and make it difficult to chew.

Dental fillings repair the areas of teeth that have been damaged by this bacterial growth. They can be made from one of many different materials:

●     Gold

●     Silver amalgam

●     Porcelain

●     Composite resin

When tooth decay has reached the roots or dental pulp of a tooth, a root canal treatment may be necessary, followed by a resin filling and a standard filling above that.

Standard dental fillings, regardless of the material, are designed to strengthen the tooth, protecting it from further decay or damage.

●     Metal fillings are more durable, but some people may not like the cosmetic appearance of a metal filling, particularly on front teeth.

●     Porcelain fillings, while not quite as durable, look closer to natural teeth, though a distinction can still be made.

●     Composite resin fillings are the least durable, but still maintain a strong bond. They can also be color treated to match the color of your natural teeth.

Composite resins need to be applied in layers and cured (hardened), which can add a significant amount of time to getting this type of filling. Metal fillings can be completed all at once.