Dental caries is a problem that people have faced for many years. Dental caries, which is defined as one of the most common diseases known in the literature, has been the biggest cause of tooth loss for many years. Teeth were extracted due to dental caries and the lost chewing function was tried to be gained to the patient with artificial dental prostheses.
However, today, tooth losses due to dental caries have decreased considerably. Losses in dental tissues due to caries can be repaired by using tissue-friendly materials and the patient’s lost chewing function can be restored with his own teeth without the need for prosthetic approaches.
Why do teeth decay?
The most important cause of dental caries is inadequate oral hygiene. Especially carbohydrate-weighted foods are the main food source of cariogenic microorganisms in the bacterial plaque on the tooth surface. Bacteria consume these foods when oral hygiene is inadequate. When rotting bacteria consume these foods, the product released is organic acids. These acids cause the inorganic structure of the tooth surface to dissolve. The dissolved inorganic tooth structure moves away from the surface and tooth decay occurs.
Saliva is an important factor in preventing tooth decay. Saliva mechanically enables food residues to move away from the tooth surface. It provides lubricity to foods, allowing them to be removed more easily from the oral environment, thus making them less in contact with bacteria. Bacteria that come into contact with less food produce less acid. Saliva also removes their effects by buffering the acids produced by plaque bacteria. Another function of saliva is that it has an antibacterial effect against carious microorganisms in the bacterial plaque. Conditions in which saliva is reduced are defined as dry mouth. In patients receiving radiotherapy in the head and neck region, salivary glands are damaged by radiotherapy and saliva flow decreases. In addition, the amount of saliva may decrease in some systemic diseases. Decrease in the amount of saliva can result in a significant increase in dental caries.
How to fill?
Dental caries progresses with hard tissue losses in the teeth. These hard tissue losses in teeth should be recovered by using tissue-friendly materials. Contrary to the common belief in the society, filling procedure is not a painful treatment. After the anesthesia is provided by selecting the appropriate anesthesia technique according to the position of the tooth to be filled in the mouth, the decayed tooth tissue is first painlessly cleaned using diamond and steel burs. The prepared dental cavity is sealed using tissue-friendly dental filling materials. Following the placement of the filling, it is adapted to prevent excessive contact with the opposite tooth during chewing. Finally, the filling surface is polished with the help of tires and discs to prevent food adhesion and the filling process is completed.
Will there be pain after filling?
During the filling process, arrangements are made with the help of burs in order to place the filling in the hard tissues of the tooth in a leak-proof manner. Subsequently, the dental filling is placed. Following the placement of the dental filling, it is considered normal to have sensitivity due to short-term thermal changes in the tooth. These sensitivities start with the stimulus and disappear when the stimulus disappears. These sensitivities, which are caused by the canals in the hard tissues of the teeth and whose ends are opened during cavity preparation, decrease and disappear over time. Long-term sensitivities may indicate that the pulp connective tissue is irreversibly inflamed and root canal treatment may be required.
Important Note: All content on the Flydent website is for informational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment.