Filling in

Got a cavity? Here’s what you need to know about getting a filling
Aug. 7, 2009 | By: The Health Local Staff

Your dentist has just delivered the bad news: You have a cavity, and you need a filling. If you’ve never had a filling before, you might wonder what exactly it is – and what is it made out of?

According to the Canadian Dental Association, there are different kinds of fillings to do the job. You can work with your dentist to find the type of filling that works best in your particular case.

The CDA recommends that, before you get a filling, you give your dentist the answers to the following questions:

• Are you taking medicine?
• Do you have allergies?
• Are you pregnant?

When it comes time to fill the cavity, your dentist may first “freeze” your gums (generally with a local anaesthetic), so you do not feel any pain. Your dentist then takes out all traces of decay, shapes the hole and fills it.

Most fillings are done in two ways:

Direct filling – These fillings go right into the cavity, after your dentist has cleaned out the decay. These are usually either amalgam (silver) fillings or plastic (white) fillings. Most of the time, you will be able to have a direct filling put in place in one appointment.
 
Indirect filling – This is generally crowns (or caps) and inlays. They are custom made in a lab to fit your tooth. Your dentist cements the filling in place. Most indirect fillings take two or more appointments to complete.

And while dental amalgam is the best-known direct material and cast gold alloy is the most durable indirect material, the CDA says ceramics are gaining in popularity because of their longevity relative to other tooth-coloured materials.