Only subsequently, the dentist proceeds by filling (or plugging) the cracks or canaliculi that the bacteria, perforating enamel and dentin, have procured in the tooth.
dental spaces where bacteria could enterThe filling of the root canal is a particular filling that is performed, during the devitalization of a tooth, to fill the space in which the dental pulp (which has been removed) usually resides.
It is the duty of the dentist to determine if a tooth requires a filling or a more invasive treatment. A small caries is easily treated by a simple filling, the duration of which (of the intervention) varies from 20 to 60 minutes. The more severe cariogenic processes, on the other hand, require more time to be accurately filled. On the other hand, caries that have gone deeper and that have invaded the dental pulp require more invasive procedures (eg devitalization or tooth extraction) to remedy the damage suffered.
Curiosity
Dental filling falls into the list of so-called practices conservative. Conservative dentistry is a branch of dentistry specializing in the restoration of the decayed tooth - or damaged by other factors - after eliminating the underlying cariogenic process. We talk about conservative procedures because the tooth, kept in its own seat, is repaired as much as possible, restoring its structural integrity and preventing its extraction.
which persists for more than 2-3 days is an alert signal that should push the unfortunate person to undergo a dental visit. In fact, let's not forget that toothache is one of the main symptoms with which a cariogenic process occurs. neglected a presumed caries, the bacteria continue their inexorable attack on the tooth: after having perforated the enamel and reaching the dentin, they attack the pulp of the tooth until triggering pulpitis, dental abscess, and destruction of tooth and root. simple filling is no longer sufficient to remedy the damage created.of the tooth to ascertain the extent of the lesion.
The operation is normally performed under local anesthesia and is not particularly painful.
Please Note
Before undergoing dental filling surgery, it is the patient's duty to report any allergic episodes to anesthetic drugs or other allergies (eg allergy to latex, allergy to nickel, etc.) to the healthcare professional. Furthermore, it is strongly recommended to inform the doctor if you are taking medications to treat a given disease, including OTC (non-prescription) medications.
The following is a step-by-step description of how a common obturation surgery is performed:
- Local anesthesia of the decayed tooth: the tooth is "asleep", consequently the patient should not feel any pain during the procedure
- Short wait (a few minutes) to allow the anesthetic to exert its therapeutic effect
- Elimination of dental caries (the tooth is cut with special burs)
- Filling of the groove created in the tooth with special materials (eg amalgams, resins, etc.): in this way, the tooth is filled and, after a few hours, it is possible to resume normal chewing.
- Good durability and resistance over time
- Rather low cost (€ 60-100, depending on the depth of the caries)
- Mainly used for fillings of posterior teeth
- Typically metallic color, unwelcome
- Aesthetically unacceptable
- Strong suspicions that mercury released from the filling over the years is potentially toxic
- Mercury amalgams for dental fillings are banned in Norway, Finland and Sweden
- Very well tolerated filling by the gingival tissue
- Guaranteed duration over 20 years
- Very high cost
- Need for more periodic checks
- Aesthetically very acceptable
- It is possible to choose the shade of the amalgam that best suits the color of your teeth
- It confers resistance to the tooth
- Makes the tooth surface shiny
- Rather high cost
- Possibility of chromatic alteration over time
- These materials are not suitable for fillings of molar teeth
- They have the same color as the tooth
- They are made with anti-stain materials
- There are also fillings with porcelain and metal, which guarantee greater (and extraordinary) resistance
- The color and sheen of these fillings mimic tooth enamel
- Very high cost, comparable to that of gold fillings
When a cariogenic process damages a large part of the tooth, it is advisable to apply a capsule (special artificial crown, which imitates the part of the tooth protruding from the alveolus) to replace the filling.
