Regina Lakeview Dental Centre
Fillings (Composite & Amalgam) in Regina
When is a Filling Indicated?
Your dentist will typically recommend a filling for the following reasons:
To restore a tooth that has a carious lesion (cavity)
To restore a tooth that has a fracture or missing tooth structure
To enhance the shape of a tooth either for esthetics or for function or for both.
What Happens with This Procedure?
Your dentist will prepare the area for the restoration. If the tooth has a carious lesion this would involve removal of the decay and the damaged tooth structure. It will also involve designing the remaining tooth structure to support the filling material. Your dentist will the place the filling material that you have discussed and that will work best in your situation. In our office, this usually involves a white composite filling, but it can also involve a silver amalgam filling or a white glass ionomer filling.
Many fillings are completed under rubber dam isolation to create the most desirable operating field where possible.
What are my Other Treatment Options?
No Treatment
Extraction
Indirect Restoration (crown)
What are the risks of treatment?
Like all dental procedures, a filling comes with some level of risk. When you choose to have this treatment, you are consenting to the following risks:
Post-operative tooth sensitivity that is typically transient but can be long lasting.
Risk of further treatment being required (root canal treatment, crowns, extractions, etc.)
Minor bleeding and swelling of the gingival (gum) tissue around the tooth site
The filling can fracture
Recession of the gum tissue which can compromise the esthetics of some fillings
Risk of the tooth getting a cavity in the future
Restricted jaw opening for several days
Injury to nerves which may cause pain, numbness, or tingling.
A true diagnosis can not be made until treatment is provided and if necessary, our treatment recommendation can change (tooth requiring an extraction, root canal, crown, etc.)
A Comprehensive General Dental Practice Serving Regina Since 1975