Step by step – Now Know One Tooth Better, or dental filling voyeurism.

While many of us have had dental fillings, we seldom get to see them being done.  Many a parent has commented about not knowing what work actually goes into placing a filling, until they watch his/her child having it done!  We’ve written about fillings before, here, here and here, and this case is a pretty routine filling that we have documented at several points in the process.  Hope you enjoy.

A failing filling with recurrent decay along with decay on another portion of the tooth created a need for a new filling.

This is such a routine procedure for us that we can usually perform the procedure without speaking at all!  Our assistants can usually predict what the dentist is going to need before he even realizes it.  There are over 25 steps to doing a filling like the one above, but when systematized, it becomes routine.

Unfortunately, the best dentistry is invisible – mimicking healthy natural tooth.  If the dentistry is on back teeth, it becomes even harder to appreciate.  While this post looks very narrowly at only one tooth, the interrelationships between teeth and gums, adjacent teeth, opposing teeth, and ultimately the jaw joints and muscles are all factors that must be taken into account.

Sensitivity the day after a filling is expected, and should decrease day by day.  If it does not abate, or in fact worsens, we usually find that the bite on the filling is slightly high.  When the bite is adjusted down, the sensitivity typically disappears.  A patient can resume eating on a filling immediately after placement, but should wait until the anesthetic wears off – lip, tongue, and cheek biting are common when people are numb.

For a personalized assessment of your oral condition, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We’d love to be your dentist in Barrie.

One final comment – if you understand the title, your mind is either as awesome or as twisted as ours.