Should i be scared of cavities

All of those steps should take at most, a minute or two. Then, once the filling is injected, the dentist will use a thin tool to pack the filler material into the cavity to make sure there are no cracks or bubbles for bad bacteria to infect. That takes a few seconds and looks like this:.

Then the dentist uses a curing light to harden the material, which takes about 30 seconds depending on the filling. After the filling hardens, the dentist smoothes out any rough edges with a polishing tool, which can take a minute or two depending on the size of the filling. Your tooth is all patched up in 20 minutes and 12 easy steps. Your jaw might be sore after holding it open for 20 minutes, but that should be the only pain you feel.

Think of it this way: repairing a cavity is actually the best time to repair tooth decay. Cavities are much easier — and far less invasive, costly, and painful — to treat than more advanced kinds of tooth decay, like root canal damage.

Nobody wants a root canal. Take care of your teeth before that happens. Skip to content. Laurie Vazquez. For many, this fear of cavities has transgressed into adulthood. The technical term of a cavity is damage done to the teeth that has resulted in the creation of tiny holes. Snacking, sipping sugary drinks, and forgetting to floss are some of the ways you can get cavities.

Either way, cavities are bound to happen sometime or another. Cavities come from the building up of bacteria that eat away at your teeth, thus creating these tiny holes.

So, cavities form from the way you clean your teeth, rather than what you eat. Although cavities may not a daunting thing, they should not go ignored.

Cavities can be a good indicator that your dental hygiene routine may not be as effective as you thought it may be. Depending on the condition of the tooth, your dentist may use a composite material or something else such as amalgam or resin. This material helps the composite bond to the tooth. Then, the composite gets applied to the area where the decay or damage used to be.

A dental assistant will apply a light to the tooth for a few seconds to harden the material. Your dentist will repeat this process in order to build up the composite material and seal the tooth.

This helps your filling look and feel natural. This helps determine if the filling is too high. It can also protect the filling from damage. Fillings are strong but are still susceptible to damage.

Make sure you engage in healthy oral hygiene on a regular basis. This means brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. Look into toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth.

This will help protect enamel and prevent decay from forming. There are a number of issues that can arise. If you notice your filling pulling away from the tooth, see your dentist right away. If this happens, bacteria can enter the space between your tooth and the filling and cause an infection. In addition, fillings can sometimes break. This can happen while eating or as a result of an impact.

If you notice a chipped or broken filling, see your dentist to have it repaired.