Taking care of your oral health is an integral part of your overall well-being. Oral care involves everything from teeth cleaning to dealing with problems that arise. It’s essential to have a dentist that does dental fillings and sealants so you can get all your dental needs taken care of in one place. What are some of the reasons you may need dental fillings and sealants, and how do these procedures work?
What Are Dental Fillings and Sealants?
Dental fillings and sealants both serve a vital purpose for your teeth. Sealants help you before you get tooth decay, while fillings help you after you get one.
Tooth decay occurs when bacteria and plaque get in the tooth and around the gums. It clings to the tooth and grows. This process leads to deterioration, or decay, of the tooth. Without intervention, the disease could expand down to the nerve. Once that happens, you will need to get a dental filling.
Sometimes dental fillings are necessary for cracked or broken teeth. The filling helps to repair the damage done to the tooth.
Sealants are a thin protective coating made out of plastic. Dentists apply sealants to the tooth to protect it from future decay and damage. Usually, they apply it to the children’s teeth so that the child doesn’t get any tooth decay in the future. Sealants are most often used on the back molars since they have more grooves and places where bacteria and particles of food can become lodged.
Often, the people who are patients for dental fillings and sealants are younger patients because they may have a harder time brushing in the grooves of the teeth or flossing thoroughly between the teeth.
Differences Between Dental Fillings and Sealants
Fillings and sealants both target decay in teeth, but they differ in the timing of how they catch decay. Sealants work to prevent the decay before it happens by putting a plastic coating of protection over the tooth, whereas dental fillings work after the tooth has already experienced decay. Fillings help stop the decay, thereby preventing tooth loss. If you don’t stop the spread of the bacteria, you may have to get the tooth removed.
The application procedure is very simple and painless for sealants, only taking a few minutes; the dentist applies the sealant with a brush.
Dental fillings are more involved procedures. The dentist must drill out part of your tooth where the decay is and then fill it in with the filling material. There are different choices for dental fillings. Some of these choices are gold, porcelain, silver, and a tooth-colored composite of plastic and resin.
Reach Out to Lovett Dental Sharpstown Today
If you need dental fillings and sealants, then Lovett Dental Sharpstown is ready to assist you in your journey. Our caring staff will assist you throughout the entire process to ensure you are comfortable.
At Lovett Dental Sharpstown, we also offer a range of other dental services, some of which include:
- Cosmetic dentistry procedures
- Veneers
- Crowns and bridges
- Pediatric dentistry options
- Braces
- Teeth whitening
From the admission process to the final procedure, we are here to walk you through each step of the way. We accept many insurance providers and offer payment plan options.
Don’t allow yourself to fret about oral health problems any longer. Learn more about dental fillings and sealants today. Contact Lovett Dental Sharpstown at 281-975-5560, and we’ll get you started.