Tooth filling

Axioma Dental Clinic performs quick and painless tooth filling restoration procedures in Saint Petersburg. Treating most dental diseases requires a tooth filling. The tooth should be completely sealed with a tooth filling material, isolating the dentine and enamel tissues from the environment and preventing oral fluid and microbes from getting inside. A tooth filling procedure is performed following an established protocol, in conformity with the rules and using modern materials.

Indications for the procedure

Tooth filling restoration is applied in the following cases:

• Caries treatment.
• Non-carious lesions: erosion, a wedge-shaped defect, retrognathism, necrosis, fluorosis. 
• After root canal treatment: pulpitis, periodontitis, radicular cyst.
• Traumatic injuries, chipped enamel.
• Failure or loss of an old restoration.

Types of fillings

There are several types differing in material, service life, location and the curing method. In terms of how long they are designed to stay in the mouth cavity, they can be temporary or permanent. Dentists often classify fillings according to the type of surface where they are applied - on vestibular, contact, chewing or oral sides. The cost of a filling depends on its type and the material used.

At Axioma Dental Clinic, the following filling materials are used:

• Light cured composites (photopolymers) are the most popular and common types routinely used in practice. Restorations are hardened under an ultraviolet light, so the patient can eat food right after their visit to the doctor. The advantages of photopolymers include a wide selection of colour shades, a natural and attractive appearance, high strength, resistance to chewing loads, hypoallergenicity and biocompatibility. Another significant benefit of these composites is that they allow creating highly aesthetic restorations which eliminate different colour, shape and anatomical defects.
• Chemical composites are materials which need to be mixed and harden as a result of a chemical reaction. They are used for temporary restoration.
• Hybrid glass ionomer materials are noted for their high adhesion to dental tissues. They are hardened in natural lighting and under an ultraviolet light. Because they exude fluoride compounds, they are frequently used for milk tooth treatment.

Permanent filling features and types

In most clinical cases, a dental filling is placed for a long period of time (5-10 years), using permanent materials. Strong, aesthetic, color stable and wear resistant materials are used. They have to meet a number of requirements: they need to be convenient to use, restore the anatomy in full, be resistant to abrasion, withstand chewing pressure and food, seal tissues tightly, come in a variety of colors and imitate natural tissues.

Temporary filling properties

For the treatment of root canal systems or periodontal tissues, temporary chemically cured fillings are used. They are needed to seal dental cavities for a short period of time - from 1 day to 1 month. Indications for the procedure include: all types of pulpitis, periodontitis, radicular cysts and granulomas.

A temporary restoration is characterized by a simple placement procedure, good plastic properties, and it can be easily removed when necessary. Curing takes 1.5 to 2 hours, so the patient should not eat after the visit during this period of time.

Procedure

Placing a filling includes the following stages:

• Patient examination and consultation.
• Disease diagnostics, making a diagnosis.
• Anaesthetizing the required jaw area.
• Preparation by drilling and removal of decayed tissues.
• Selecting a color shade for the future restoration.
• Antiseptic treatment of the enamel and dentine.
• Acid etching.
• Applying a bonding agent (cement) and exposure to a light source.
• Stage-by-stage placement of a filling material and exposure to an UV light source.
• Grinding, correcting and polishing.
• Instructing and advising the patient.

Possible complications

If treatment is performed by an experienced dentist, the risk of complications is low. People with a low pain threshold may experience post-operative sensitivity, i.e. unpleasant sensations during a few days after vising the doctor. This is caused by excessive drying of tissues or the effect of medication. Pain should disappear within 7-10 days. If the pain is acute, spontaneous and shooting, it is necessary to visit the doctor immediately, as it may be a sign of nerve inflammation.

Pain can also result from the filling being too high for the occlusion. In this case, you need to visit your attending doctor again to have the filling polished.

Other complications include: filling falling out, chipping, cracking, caries recurrence, and gum inflammation. These situations may occur if the treatment procedure was breached and it is necessary to visit the dentist to eliminate the errors.

Contraindications

This kind of treatment is not applied if the tooth crown is severely decayed and will be unable to withstand chewing pressure. Cervical caries treatment is not performed in case of periodontal diseases or gum inflammation, as they can hamper the filling placement procedure. Pulpitis (nerve inflammation) and periodontitis make this kind of treatment absolutely impossible. In this case, it is necessary to undergo endodontic treatment first and place a restoration afterwards.

It is possible to have a tooth filled with good quality and without pain at Axioma Dental Clinic. Our dentists offer a full range of dental services with a warranty for treatment.