No one wants to hear he has a cavity, but a diagnosis of dental decay doesn’t mean it is the end of the world or even of your smile as you know it. Restorative treatment makes it possible to save a damaged tooth in most cases, allowing you to do better things than worry about your smile or suffer from dental pain. You can enjoy your life, and proudly show the world how happy you feel, with restorative treatment like a dental filling.
Early Treatment Is Key to a Healthy Smile
Prompt restorative treatment is the best way to cope with a cavity. In many cases, a simple dental filling is sufficient to restore oral health. And, modern dentistry has made it possible to have a tooth-colored filling, which is far less noticeable than the metal fillings that used to be the primary form of restoration.
To complete a filling the dentist will first thoroughly clean and sanitize the area, and he or she will then use a composite resin to fill the area damaged by the decay.
This filling acts as a protective barrier against further decay, and can help prevent infection inside the now-exposed interior of the tooth. In some cases a dental crown may also be necessary to protect a tooth, particularly if a cavity was advanced before restorative treatment was sought.
Even if the damage is particularly progressed when you see the dentist, though, it doesn’t necessarily mean your tooth must be extracted. In many cases, even an infected tooth can be saved. Root canal therapy is a popular way to help restore oral health after a tooth infection; it can help prevent the need for extraction and prosthetic dentistry further down the line.