Dental Fillings Park Ridge

Have you recently been experiencing tooth sensitivity while trying to eat or drink? Do you have a toothache that won’t seem to go away? Can you see a hole in your tooth? You may be suffering from tooth decay and forming a cavity! Our dental office in Park Ridge offers dental fillings for our patients suffering from tooth decay, cavity formation, or even traumatic damage. Fillings will improve the health, function, and appearance of your affected tooth, and they can control pain related to tooth decay. We offer multiple filling options to help you treat your cavities in a way that best matches your personal goals.

We would be more than happy to evaluate your tooth to determine the best treatment option for you and your smile.

In the simplest terms, dental cavities are holes in your teeth.

How do these holes develop in your teeth? In the past, people believed in tooth borers that would tunnel into teeth the way that insects tunneled into trees and plant stems. However, now we know that tooth decay is caused by oral bacteria. These bacteria consume foods in your mouth and excrete acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel, which is very strong, but is chemically vulnerable. At first, acidic attack removes minerals from enamel, weakening it. Then it removes the enamel itself, creating holes, described as caries by dentists but commonly called cavities.

Once cavities start to develop, it’s important to treat them quickly. An open cavity can expand rapidly. As a hole in your tooth, cavities can trap food, giving oral bacteria a supply to eat long after you’ve finished eating. The cavity also gives oral bacteria shelter from your saliva, and may even protect them from brushing. Plus, the cavity creates a small environment where acidic excretions concentrate, making them more dangerous to your tooth enamel.

As a cavity grows, it will pierce the tooth enamel, which can lead to tooth sensitivity. If the cavity reaches the interior of the tooth, it can infect the living chamber inside it. This can cause extreme pain and can only be treated with root canal therapy.

Cavities can get too large for treatment with fillings, and sometimes tooth decay can lead to tooth loss.

A filling stops the process of decay, returns your teeth to full function, and can stop discomfort related to decay.

Metal amalgam fillings are the traditional silver fillings. Although they do generally have silver, the metal they contain most of is mercury. Because mercury is toxic, this type of filling isn’t recommended for everyone.

However, in appropriate situations, metal amalgam fillings are strong, durable, and inexpensive.

We are proud to offer tooth-colored composite dental fillings in Park Ridge for our patients. Composite fillings are mostly made of resin (plastic) with ceramic particles for added strength.

Composite fillings are attractive, but they’re not as strong as amalgam fillings, so they’re best for small cavities. However, when used appropriately–especially in small cavities–composite fillings can last as long as amalgam fillings. For larger fillings, though, we recommend inlays and onlays.

Inlays and onlays are fillings made of advanced ceramics, such as porcelain, resin composite, or gold. These materials can be even stronger than your natural tooth material, making them suitable for even the largest cavities. Porcelain is often preferred because it is durable and can be matched to the natural color of the tooth, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal. Inlays and onlays are custom-made in a dental lab and then bonded to the tooth, making them ideal for cavities that are too large for fillings but not damaged enough to require a crown.

• Inlays: These are used for cavities that are confined to the area within the cusps (the chewing surface) of the tooth.
• Onlays: These are larger restorations that cover one or more cusps and may extend over the edges of the tooth.

Inlays and onlays are known for their strength and longevity, making them a good choice for areas that endure heavy chewing forces, like the back teeth. They last as long as amalgam fillings, but they require a two-step process and are more expensive.

When it comes to receiving a dental filling, the process is quite simple for amalgam and composite fillings:

• Dr. Kuchta will clean and prepare the tooth, removing minor parts of enamel for filling placement.
• Dr. Kuchta will press the shapeable material into the cavity.
• Composite fillings need to be hardened. This is done with a curing light which your dentist will shine on the filling. For larger fillings, we might apply some filling, harden it, then apply another layer.

The process for inlays and onlays is a little different.

• Dr. Kuchta will clean and prepare the tooth, removing damaged parts of the tooth and old fillings if necessary.
• We will take digital impressions of your teeth with our TRIOS scanner.
• Dr. Kuchta may design your restorations or simply send the impressions to the lab where they design your restorations.
• You will wear a temporary restoration until your final restorations are ready.
• When we get your fillings, Dr. Kuchta will test their fit before bonding them to your teeth.

This process is more complicated, but in many situations, it’s worth it for the longer-lasting and more attractive restorations.