What's the process of getting a cavity filled?

Question

What's the process of getting a cavity filled?

Answer 1

Prior to having the tooth filled, the dentist will probably take an x-ray (if s/he hasn't already.)  This will help him or her to find out how deep the cavity is and how close it is to the pulp (nerve and guts) of the tooth, which the dentist does not want to cut into.  

When you go into the office for the filling, the dentist will start by rubbing some topical anaesthesia on your gums.  This will numb the area.  Then, s/he will inject a local anaesthetic that blocks the nerve that gives feeling to the tooth being worked on.  It feels about the same as having your teeth probed by the hygienist.

Then, the dentist may put on a rubber dam.  This isolates the tooth from the rest of your mouth, keeping it dry and decreasing the risk of infection if the pulp gets accidentally exposed.  It also protects you from tissue damage if your tongue or cheek accidentally got in the way or if something fell into your mouth.

To treat the tooth itself, the dentist will use a combination of a high speed rotary handpiece and hand tools to cut the tooth and remove all the mushy decay.  The goal here is to get rid of all the rotten tooth structure while keeping as much good tooth structure as possible...while still designing a hole that is big enough and shaped so that a filling will stay in it.

After the cutting is done, the dentist will apply a layer of base cement to the bottom of the cut portion.  This cement releases fluoride and helps the tooth to regenerate some of the hard tissue (the dentin, not the enamel.)  Sometimes this liner is cured with a curing lamp.  Then, amalgam or composite resin will be packed on top.  

The dentist then carves the filling to look like the original tooth.  Resin is cured with a curing lamp, and then a layer of sealant is applied and cured on top.  Amalgam hardens on its own.  Resin is then polished using a slow speed handpiece (that vibrates like crazy!), but amalgam has to set for at least 24 hours before it can be polished.  S/he then makes sure that the filling hasn't changed your bite by making you bite on a piece of paper to find out where your teeth touch.  Adjustments are made by shaving bits off the filling until it bites together with the opposing tooth properly.

And that's about it!!  An experienced dentist can do a simple filling in about 20 minutes or less, depending on the tooth and complexity of the case.

Answer 2

they make it numb , then they take all they rotten stuff and decayed tooth out and then they put the filling in and then you are done

Answer 3

im not sure, sice it happened to me years ago, but i know they make your mouth numb, they surround u and start using this thing and filling in ur teeth. it tastes bad, and its metal