Has it been months since you were able to share an ice cream cone with your kid, without wincing in pain as what used to feel like a treat hits your teeth? Does your morning cup of coffee now have to be lukewarm to keep a damaged tooth comfortable? If so, you likely already know that you may require restorative dental treatment, like a dental filling. What you may not realize, however, is how quickly or beautifully a dentist might be able to help you bounce back from the most common dental problem, a cavity!

What Makes Tooth-colored Fillings Special?

Did you know that studies indicate over 90 percent of the adults in America are currently experiencing a cavity? While that may help you feel less alone, it cannot help eliminate discomfort caused by dental decay. Fortunately, restorative dentistry can, and often in less time than you might think.

Creating a dental filling is a minimally invasive and quick procedure, that can be completed during a single visit. And it helps to protect a fragile tooth, after its been damaged by acidic erosion, as is the case with a cavity. This barrier helps to seal the tooth from food particles and bacteria, therefore helping to prevent an infection, which would require far more extensive treatment.

For many patients, though, the best part of modern dental fillings is that they are barely recognizable. Thanks to composite resin, the same material used in a cosmetic procedure called bonding, fillings can now be made to more seamlessly match a patient’s natural smile, in shade and shape. Plus, this resin bonds well with teeth and is safe for people with metal allergies and sensitivities that might have avoided restorative dentistry in the past for fear they’d be fitted with metal amalgam fillings.

Just remember, if you suspect you have a cavity it’s important to schedule an appointment for the restoration as soon as possible. The more quickly you have treatment completed, the less likely your cavity is to progress, requiring more drastic measures to save the tooth.