Our grins endure a significant amount of wear over the years as nearly every factor you can think of poses a threat to our overall oral health. Indeed, from misalignment to infection and even physical injury, our smiles have a lot going against them. Fortunately, restorative dentistry creates a sort of safety net in the even that any of our preventive measures fail. In fact, many individuals are able to preserve their natural structures with the help of effective restorative treatment. In today’s blog, your Northwest IN dentist addresses the threat of decay and how it can be stopped early on through the help of a dental filling.
Preventing Infection from Spreading
It is no surprise that dental decay is arguably the biggest threat to our oral health, as millions of individuals experience the phenomenon every year in some form or another. Indeed, it may not seem like such a daunting task to address in its early stages, however, it will continue to grow over time until all of a sudden you lose a tooth.
Just like a number of other oral health concerns, decay begins with harmful oral bacteria. These bacteria are present in every smile, and thrive in the hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Here, they feed off of the food and sugar particles that we consume, causing them to secrete harmful acid that aid in the breakdown of teeth.
In its earliest stages, decay begins as a small hole known as a cavity. With time and lack of treatment, it will begin to spread internally and target your inner dental pulp and nerves. As it progresses, it will compromise your entire structure and result in removal, as well as threaten surrounding teeth. To best combat this from occurring, we recommend tackling the problem early on.
Reinforce Your Strength
Your dentist can help you identify cavities during your routine checkup, as well as inform you about your next steps. When you come in for your dental filling procedure, we will begin by cleaning and removing the infected portions of your tooth. We will then apply a shade-matched composite resin filling to occupy the cavity. After the material has been shaped to satisfaction, we will cure or harden it with a special light, and then you are on your way! For more information about this process, reach out to our team today.
Preserving Your Natural Teeth
Because adult teeth are considered permanent, the last thing you or your dentist wants is to have to remove one. Restorative dentistry allows us to salvage your natural structures and ensure their strength, and our team is ready to help.
Learn More Today
Contact Healthy Smiles in Northwest IN by calling 219-938-2637 to learn more about the steps you can take to care for your smile, or schedule your visit with our team today.