To treat a tooth with decay, Dr. R. Erik Cantwell may place a dental filling in West Jordan, Utah. When treating a cavity, our dentist will remove the decay from the tooth and then fill the area with the filling materials. Our office uses composite fillings, or tooth-colored fillings and amalgam, or silver fillings. Composite fillings are made of plastic materials and amalgams are made of silver, tin, zinc, copper, and mercury. Composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, cracked, broken, or worn down teeth.
To prepare a filling for a tooth, our dentist first uses a drill, air abrasion instrument, or laser to remove the decayed area of the tooth. Our dentist probes the area to see if all the decay has been removed. The area is then cleaned of bacteria and debris to prepare the tooth for the dental filling. Once the area is clean, our dentist places the filling and finishes and polishes it. Composite fillings require a few extra steps to place. These fillings are placed in layers and our dentist cures each layer as it is placed. Our dentist then shapes the filling, trims off excess material, and polishes the restoration.
We welcome you to contact Copper Ridge Dental today to learn more and to schedule your next appointment.
