Do White Fillings Make Our Teeth Sensitive?
If you had a tooth restored by getting decay removed and the dentist placed a white filling, you might experience some post-operative discomfort. The pain results from the physics and chemistry of the filler itself. However, on most occasions, the discomfort from a cavity filling is temporary and remains for a couple of weeks after placing it.
White fillings in Courtice & Oshawa, ON, alternatively called tooth-coloured fillings or composite resin fillers, are preferred by the dentist because they allow them to work conservatively on tooth structure preparation procedure as the fillers chemically bond with the tooth structure. . In addition, white fillings are beneficial because they add to the aesthetic appearance of the patient. Dentists place a filling resembling the shade of your tooth to permit you to smile with confidence knowing no one will realize you have a filling in your tooth.
Why Do White Fillings Make Your Teeth Sensitive?
A plastic material helps make white fillings sensitive to temperature changes which causes them to expand and contract, similar to silver amalgam fillings. The fillings can change shape when exposed to extreme temperatures to cause sensitivity. The discomfort is familiar during an initial couple of weeks after getting the filler. However, when your tooth gets accustomed to the movement, the sensitivity disappears.
Sometimes the dentist might place a white filling that is too large for a tooth. In such cases, the filling needs replacement with a dental crown. When getting white fillings to restore cavities or as teeth gap filling, people generally hear about the aesthetic appearance of the fillers and how easy it is for the dentist to preserve much of the tooth structure. The lack of understanding about the composition of the filler is the primary reason why you might experience some sensitivity after getting your tooth restored.
Is the Composition of the Filler the Only Reason for the Discomfort?
When you visit the dentist in Courtice to have a cavity restored on a visible tooth, you initially receive local anesthesia around the tooth to prevent pain as the dentist prepares to remove tooth decay from your mouth. Dentists use a drill to remove the pollution from the tooth before cleaning and disinfecting the hollow space.
Relying on the size of the damage created by the cavity, the dentist places the white filler in multiple layers waiting for each layer to harden before placing the next. Getting tooth-coloured fillings is more time-consuming than having silver amalgam fillers. Unfortunately, amalgam fillings are unsuitable for the front teeth because they do not have an aesthetic appearance. The slower filling procedure with white fillings coupled with tooth decay removal and sitting with your mouth open in the dentist’s chair will likely cause more discomfort than the filler itself.
After understanding the composition of the filling material, you find it easier to realize why the white filler causes sensitivity after placement in your tooth. Tooth-coloured fillings are, unlike silver amalgam fillings, also sensitive to temperatures. If white fillings expand and contract, amalgam fillings expand & expand without contracting. The continual expansion of silver fillings eventually pushes the walls of the filling preparation resulting in cracking and splitting of the tooth. In stark contrast, white fillings are trustworthy, aesthetic, and the dentist’s preferred material for filling cavities or bonding teeth. They are also beneficial for replacing existing amalgam fillings to prevent unnecessary tooth damage. A split or cracked tooth continues to expand until the crack reaches the nerve, resulting in needing a root canal or splitting the tooth below the jawbone to require extraction.
When your dentist recommends having a white filling on a front tooth or a molar, you can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the filler, which the dentist happily explains. You can also inquire whether you can expect sensitivity after getting the white filler to have in possession information on why the sensitivity may hit you after getting your tooth restored.
The answers provided by the dentist will make you comfortable with the discomfort without causing fear in your mind about the filling material. Tooth-coloured fillings are safe and effective and will likely not cause any complications in your tooth besides requiring faster replacements than silver fillers. They also benefit you by helping you retain the aesthetics of your smile by having tooth-coloured fillings.
Brightway dental recommends white-coloured fillings for patients needing restorations on their front or back teeth providing comprehensive information about the filling procedure and the filler. If you need tooth-coloured fillings, we suggest you contact this practice without hesitation and have your tooth restored with aesthetic material.