The oral disorders have gained much popularity over the past few decades as with the changing lifestyle patterns and habits people have become more prone to the substances that are the root causes of oral and specifically dental problems. The major dental concerns include gum diseases, missing teeth, tooth decay or cavities, sensitivity, and much more. According to a survey, about 60% population of the world is suffering from dental caries and the individuals lying in the age group of 18-64 years are affected by dental caries. The tooth decay is one of the major problems of concern for the population as more than 70% of the dental problems are caused due to tooth decay. Before moving on further on this topic, let’s have a brief introduction of tooth decay or cavities and its causes and then lets see how long does it take to get a cavity filled?
What Is Tooth Decay Or Cavity?
The cavity is caused when the hard part of the tooth known as enamel is broken down by the bacteria present in our mouth. The main causative agent of cavity or tooth decay is the sticky substance known as plaque that contains bacteria that sticks to the teeth. When the person scoffs food containing sugar, the bacteria produce a lot of acids that attacks the enamel. This acid sticks to the teeth along with the plaque and ultimately erodes the teeth. The cavities are more pervasive among the children but with age, the adults are also at risk of getting cavities. The symptoms of the cavities depend upon the awfulness of the problem which generally includes:
- Pain and discomfort
- Sensitivity of tooth
- A visible hole in the tooth
- White or black staining on the teeth
Why The Cavity Happens ?
There are a wide variety of factors that contribute to the formation of cavities in younger people and adults as well. These include: –
- Too Much Consumption Of Sugar: – The individuals who consume a large number of sugary foods and beverages are at a higher risk of getting cavities because larger is the amount of sugar taken larger will be the amount of acid produced by the bacteria which will ultimately erode the enamel of teeth causing tooth decay.
- Poor Hygiene: – The individuals who do not maintain the proper hygiene of their oral cavity are at a greater risk of getting cavities.
- Dry Mouth: – The saliva in the mouth keeps the plaque away from the teeth. If the mouth is dry, the plaque builds up more quickly causing the dental cavities.
- Acid Reflux: – In the individuals suffering from acid reflux, the acid usually comes to the mouth as the gastro-esophageal sphincter is unable to control the excess of acid from getting into the esophagus. This acid is responsible for the erosion of enamel leading to cavities.
- Smoking And Chewing Tobacco: – The individuals who have a habit of chewing tobacco and smoking regularly are prone to oral cavities and oral cancers as well.
So try to have oral hygiene and take less sugar. If you want to stay away from all the disorders, stay away from smoking and tobacco.
Why The Cavity Needs To Be Filled and Why it’s That Much Important ?
Once you damaged the tooth with cavity, your teeth become more sensitive. It will affect the inner nerves and cause a problem to the structural integrity. It will become a reason for the continued infection. Sometimes even the doctor removes decay from the inner part of tooth, this hole itself will cause problem to the teeth. So instead of removing the decay, by filling the hole dentist will regain its functionality to the damaged tooth. .
How Long Does It Take To Get A Cavity Filled ?
Before going for cavity treatment, there are a large number of questions in the individual’s mind that how long it will take to complete this procedure, how much it will cost, how painful it will be and much more. All these answers are vindicated here.
The procedure for cavity filling is relatively very easy for the dentist.
- Initially, he anesthetizes the part of the mouth he is going to treat. In the beginning, the person may feel a tingling sensation in the gums but when the area becomes fully numb, the dentist starts the procedure.
- The removal of decay is done with the help of a dental drill or laser and the decay is removed.
- The space then needs to be filled by the filling material. The dentist will apply the filling material on your damaged tooth and will harden the material with a special laser.
Note: – There are a variety of fillings available in the market which include amalgam fillings, ceramic fillings, composite fillings, metal fillings and more. The individual may consult the dentist about the right kind of filling that will suit him/her the best. Try to visit your Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics if you have doubts in the filling procedure. He may able to give you the best solution for your body needs.
- Finally the polishing is done to remove the excess of the filling and smoothen so that no sharp edges are left that could damage cheeks and tongue.
The duration of the filling generally ranges from 45 minutes to 1 hour which may exceed up to 1.5 hours in cases where complications like delay in numbness or delayed action of local anesthesia and more occurs. If multiple cavities need to be filled, then the dentist may treat them over multiple visits.
Some after-filling instructions need to be followed by the patient to ensure that the fillings do not get destroyed. These include avoiding those foodstuffs that are rich in carbohydrate and sugar content, eluding chewing hard foodstuffs, circumventing intake of very hot or very cold drinks that may increase sensitivity and may even damage the fillings.
Getting a tooth decay and then worrying about the cavity filling is not a wise move. Although, with modernization, it is difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle still one should be genuine about maintaining proper oral hygiene to avoid oral problems. As a wise man said, “teeth are the gateway of our body” so one must maintain his/her gateway to let others have a positive stance about the individual.