How Long Does A Filling Take?

Are you struggling with tooth pain or tooth sensitivity? Then you most probably need to get your teeth checked for cavities. I have had two fillings done in my back molars. Honestly, I was terrified when my dentist said I had a cavity in my tooth. I did so much research on the topic that I could literally write a thesis on dental fillings by the end of it!

I was laughing at myself after my first dental filling. It was neither scary nor painful. Now I can confidently answer the question – How long does a filling take? Not much longer than cooking yourself a porridge breakfast – 15 minutes tops!

Dental Fillings – Why They Are Needed

The bacteria in your teeth produce a very strong acid when they eat the micro food particles stuck on your teeth. This results in the formation of plaque that needs to be brushed and flossed regularly. Otherwise, plaque build up chips away at the tooth enamel and can result in a small hole or cavity.

If cavities are not treated in a timely manner, uncontrolled decay can spread to the root of the tooth. Once the root is inflamed, a root canal treatment is needed. The root of the tooth needs to be extracted and disinfected in order to save the tooth. Hence, it is best to visit your dentist promptly if you have tooth pain.

Dental Fillings – Different Available Types

Once your dentist has determined the extent of your tooth decay they will recommend a dental filling for you. The dentist will remove the plaque in your tooth and fill the hole with a substance called dental filling. You would generally get a choice or recommendation for the best type of filling suited for your teeth.

Here is a quick summary of dental fillings

• Amalgam Fillings – Amalgam is a combination of silver, copper, tin and mercury to create a very strong filling. Amalgam is usually recommended for the back teeth because they can resist frequent wear and tear.
• Composite Fillings – Composite fillings are made of acrylic resin and blend very well with the natural colour of the tooth. However, they wear down quickly and are recommended for the front teeth.
• Glass Ionomer Fillings – These are tooth coloured fillings that release some fluoride around the tooth to prevent further decay.
• Gold Inlays and Onlays – Gold is the best metal for dental filling but also the most expensive. Gold fillings need to be custom made in the laboratory that further adds to the expense.
• Porcelain Inlays – Porcelain fillings are stain resistant, strong and closely match natural tooth colour. However, they are as expensive as gold fillings too.

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Dental Fillings – The process

There is very little risk when an experienced dentist, who conducts the procedure multiple times a day, does the filling for you.

1. You will be given a local anaesthesia to numb the decayed tooth.
2. The dentist will remove decay and shape the tooth using a drill. Some healthy tooth structure may need to be removed depending on the type of filling used.
3. Then your dentist will etch the tooth with acid gel.
4. The tooth will be filled and the filling hardened.
5. The tooth will be polished.

So How Long Does A Filling Take?

The actual time required for the dental filling procedure depends on the following factors:

• The amount of decay
• Difficulty of tooth access (premolars are easier to fill than second or third molars)
• Number of surfaces involved
• The type of filling
• The speed and experience of your dentist

In my experience, the longest part of the dental filling process is waiting for the anaesthesia to kick in. I had a silver filling and the procedure took 20 minutes from start to finish. Composite resin fillings can take an hour to complete as the tooth has to completely dry before a new composite layer can be added. For excessive decay, you may need multiple appointments if your tooth needs a temporary filling before the final filling can be added.

What Happens Next?

Some tooth sensitivity is expected after your anaesthesia wears off. You may also experience a very sharp shock (called galvanic shock) when the metal in the newly filled tooth touches another tooth. You may also need to take painkillers or antibiotics to avoid post-procedure infection.

I remember I had to avoid cold and sweet foods for a couple of days after my dental filling. However, if you have excessive pain for 3 days or more after the procedure, you need to go back to the dentist again. The filling could be too high and your dentist will need to reduce it.

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Things To Remember

• If you have a cavity, do not delay getting your teeth filled.
• There are different types of fillings available depending on your requirements.
• Dental fillings are conducted under anaesthesia. If you are worried about the anaesthesia injection, ask your dentist to apply numbing gel to the gums before the jab.
• A dental filling process is usually quick and pain-free.
• Do not leave excessive post-filling pain to go unexamined.
• Brush and floss your teeth regularly to avoid further tooth decay.

Here is a nice article by the American Dental Association explaining the proper techniques of brushing your teeth.

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How Long Does A Root Canal Take?

Are you feeling anxious about getting root canal treatment for the first time? Your head must be full of questions and that is normal considering all the rumors that are being said about the whole procedure.

Knowing what to expect ahead of time will help in lowering your anxiety and stress levels during the entire process and in this article we are going to answer one question that might be popping up in your head, “How long does a root canal take?’’.

How many visits are needed to complete the root canal treatment?

The type of your tooth (Anterior teeth – Posterior teeth), the severity of the infection and the complexity of your tooth’s anatomy (Curved roots - Narrow canals) play a role in determining the number of appointments that are needed to complete the root canal treatment and the length of each one of them.

Usually, most root canals can be treated in one or two visits but if you have extremely infected teeth, you may need several visits in order to control the infection.

A medication which has the ability to kill the bacteria as calcium hydroxide may be placed in your tooth between the appointments for one or two weeks after cleaning the root canal system.

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What is the difference between single and two-visit endodontic treatment protocol?

Single-visit treatment protocol depends on:

• killing a large number of microorganisms during cleaning the root canals.
• Burying the residual bacteria by the root canal obturation.
• That will result in depriving the remaining bacteria of nutrition and space which are necessary for its survival.

Moreover, root canal sealant and the zinc ions of gutta-percha have an antimicrobial effect which can help in getting rid of the residual bacteria.

Usually, the length of a single – visit treatment can take from 30 to 60 minutes while complicated cases can take up to 90 minutes. If you are experiencing any pain or swelling during the appointment, your dentist will probably choose double – visit treatment.

Check out this video which shows a single appointment root canal treatment:

While two-visit endodontic treatment protocol depends on:

• Cleaning and shaping the root canal of your tooth in the first visit.
• Using of extra disinfecting agents and irrigants which are able to remove the microorganisms from your root canal system prior to the obturation.
• The second visit is usually used for root canal sealing and obturation.

What are the advantages of the one-visit endodontic treatment?

• Reducing the number of your dental appointments and the occurrence of severe pain and swelling.
• Avoiding root canal contamination and bacterial re-growth.

What are the disadvantages of the one-visit endodontic treatment?

• It can be tiring and uncomfortable to you as it may last 90 minutes.

What are the advantages of multiple-visit endodontic treatment?

• Calcium hydroxide can be placed between the appointments.
• Your dentist will be able to monitor the progress of the healing process.

What are the disadvantages of multiple-visit endodontic treatment?

• If you feel apprehensive about going to your dentist, this will be a bit difficult to you as you will have to pay multiple visits to the dental office.
• Recontamination of the canals between visits.

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So How long does a root canal treatment take?

You should keep in your mind that the length of your upcoming root canal procedure is going to change according to your case.

So, mostly if you aren’t suffering from a severe infection, your root canal treatment can take up to 60 min and it probably won’t need more than one visit to be completed.

On the contrary, if you are suffering from a severe infection, you should expect that the treatment will take a little more time because you will probably need two or multiple dental visits in order to complete your treatment.

After all, studies have proved that there is no difference in the healing rates between single and double or multiple-visit endodontic treatments. So, there is no need to worry about which treatment protocol is the best for you. Leave that to your dentist and rest assured that he will choose the one that is convenient and works best for your case.

Kindly, leave a comment if you have any further questions.

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The Smile Dental Plan Review: What’s All the Fuss About?

Have you seen a dentist in the last year, had an exam, needed a root canal or other expensive work, and then decided to not go ahead with the treatment because of the cost? You’re not alone.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in a recent ABC News story, reports that onethird of Australians avoid going to the dentist because of cost.Twenty per cent of us who have private health insurance still end up cancelling needed dental care because we just can’t afford it.

In this article, we’ll fill you in on the Smile Dental Plan (SDP). Finding private health funds that provide dental coverage which addresses a person’s unique oral condition for the best price can be daunting. Even if the best health fund match-up is found, dental services may still be financially out of reach.

SDP is a completely different kind of dental savings plan that may make your dental care affordable. Why the fuss? It’s not at all like any other of Australia’s common and traditional private health fund insurances, rebates, public dentistry, and health or concession cards.

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What is the Smile Dental Plan?

SDP is NOT insurance.

Dental extras that are part of your overall health fund insurance plan AREinsurance products.

The Smile Plan scheme boils down to this:

• Join the Smile program.
• Find a participating Smile dentist.
• Present your Smile membership card to the dentist or office staff.
• Confirm your discount!
• Receive your dental care.
• Pay the full dental fee balance minus the discount.
• Obtain your receipt.
• Claim back your rebate from your health fund using your receipt.

The steps are that easy. Let’s go over the pros and cons of the SDP.

PROS

• There are no waiting lists.
• There is no yearly monetary cap on services.
• There are no exclusions for any dental service. It even covers dental veneers.
• Anyone can join, including non-citizens.
• Dentists are vetted by Smile.
• Membership fees are reasonable.
• There are no pre-existing condition exclusions.
• Smile periodically checks to see if participating dentists are following the Smile fee schedule rules.
• Some health funds (e.g., “Defense”) may have the Smile program included.
• Advertised special offers.

CONS

• Members must use Smile participating dentists.
• Members referred to dental specialists may have difficulty finding one who participates in the Smile program near their location.
• There is a cancellation fee.

Mucking through every possible individual dental scenario to see if the Smile program is worth getting is not possible in this article. You will need to do some research on your own, but we’ll give you some general tips to help you decide.

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Is Smile Worth It?

What best describes your situation?

“I Have private health insurance already with dental extras”

•  You have great teeth.
•  You usually only need an exam and clean as a part of your preventive oral health.
•  You have No Gaps Dental as part of your insurance.

With the above,a Smile plan is probably not needed. But if you expect that you will have some expensive dental work soon.

Verdict: A Smile plan may save you additional money.

“I don’t have private health insurance”

• You have great teeth.
• You only need an exam and clean.
• You need major dental work soon.

Verdict: A Smile plan is a very good idea for you.

One of the things to consider when dealing with any health care company is their mission statement. The Smile Dental Plan has a mission statement that the average Australian can get behind even if they never join.

“Smile's mission is to make quality dental care more affordable and accessible for the people of Australia. We believe that a beautiful smile and good breath raises our self-esteem, confidence and spirit. We believe that good oral health leads to a healthier and happier life. We also know that poor oral health is linked to serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, premature birth and Alzheimer's. So, we want to ensure that everyone can visit a dentist regularly.” – Source: smile.com.au

At Dental Guide Australia, we bring you helpful tips, information and resources that reflect a similar mission.Visit out homepage for more dental health advice in Australia.

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What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

Ok, you’ve been working all day in the hot sun. You finally get to grab that ice-coldlemonade or, even better a Foster’s, and ouch, you get a shockinglypainful tooth jolt! You’ve just experienced tooth sensitivity to cold. Tooth sensitivity is a perennial human complaint. Not only cold, but also hot, sweet, and just biting on a tooth can cause a painful sensitivity response.

As usual, there are always lots of reasons and causes behind dental problems and the same is true for sensitive teeth. In this article, we’ll help you sort through the whole lot so you can enjoy that lemonade or ‘other’ cold beverage.

The Nerve of SensitiveTeeth!

Every one of our teeth is hollow. Inside this hollow space is a collection of blood vessels and nervesthat connect to the main nerves of the jaw. It is called the pulp by dentists.

Each tooth has a hard enamel crown. Under this covering is a substance called dentin. It is softer, yellow, and has‘nerve’ cells that transmit information along tiny tubes to the pulp of the tooth. The roots of the tooth are also composed of dentin.

With this little dental anatomy lesson, we can now more easily visualize and understand the various causes oftooth sensitivity.

Types of Sensitivity

• Cold
• Hot (sensitivity to hot is usually a sign of a more serious tooth condition)
• Sweet
• Force
• Acid

Causes

Except for sensitivity from forces, exposure of the dentin from whatever contributing dental condition or disease is the main cause of teeth becoming sensitive.

Dental decay:Cold sensitivity is the main hallmark of cavities. If decaygoes untreated and the cavity gets larger and larger, sensitivity to cold will become increasingly pronounced. Decayed teeth also become sensitive to sweets. Decay close to or into the pulp will start to elicit sensitivity to hot and, eventually,throbbing pain.

Fractured teeth: Symptoms mimic dental decay with increasing severity depending on the size of thechip or fracture.

Defective fillings: loose,broken,or leaking fillings cause sensitivities in much the same way as decayed teeth.

Cracked tooth: Sometimes a part of the tooth crown may fracture without completely breaking off. Biting on the tooth temporarily opens the crack, exposing the dentin and resulting in various types of fleeting sensitivities. In most instances the tooth will eventually fracture completely.

Periodontal (gum) disease:The root surface is exposed by infection or shrinkage of gum tissue around the teeth, resulting in sensitivity to cold, sweet, acid and, less so, hot.Read more about that here.

Receding gums: Exposure of dentin of the roots can be caused by many factors including improper toothbrushing. Sensitivity is generally to cold.

Orthodontic treatment: Some patients with braces experience sensitivities, usually to cold.

Tooth whitening: Excessive or or improper use of whitening products can cause sensitivity problems as well as irritated gums.

Impact sensitivity: Grinding of your teeth (bruxism),as well as any other activity, habit, or malocclusion (crowded teeth) that cause abnormal wear through the enamel on a few or all of the teeth may result in sensitivity.These include tobacco chewing, pipe smoking, chronic toothpick chewing, and so on.

Other less common causes of tooth sensitivity include bulimia, where stomach acid commonly erodes the enamel on the front teeth, and acid damage to the front teeth from chronic sucking and eating lemons or other citrus fruits.

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Treatments

Treatment is necessarily directed at correcting the specific dental problem associated with the affected teeth.

• Filling or crowning decayed, fractured, cracked, or compromised teeth.
• Periodic scale and clean or definitive periodontal surgery or treatment.
• Receding gums exposing root surfaces may be treated either by filling with tooth-coloured material or, in some cases, gum surgery.
• Sensitivity issues from braces may be addressed by assuring proper oral hygiene procedures in most cases.
• When using teeth-whitening products, be sure to follow the instructions and do not over use. Some people will have sensitivity even with proper use.
• Impact causes of sensitivity are treated with orthodontics, ‘night guards’, and elimination of habits causing excessive wear on the teeth.
• Less common causes of tooth sensitivity are addressed by eliminating any medical disorders or chronic habits.

The most commonly recommended over-the-counter remedies for non-specific tooth sensitivity are toothpastes containingpotassium nitrate. Dentists also can apply desensitizing chemicals as a more generalized sensitive-teeth procedure.

Now that you have the answers to this ‘sensitive’ dental subject, be sure and visit us at http://ift.tt/2oSZ85F for even more helpful and interesting dental information!

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