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Composite Fillings

Dental composite is a tooth-colored material that is a mixture of plastic and glass. Composite fillings are used to fix small- to medium-sized cavities on baby and adult teeth. They represent esthetic restorative materials that come in different shades and can blend very well with the tooth if the proper shade is selected.

The Tooth-Colored (Composite) Filling Procedure

Before a composite filling is placed, the dentist will clean the cavity by removing soft decayed tooth structure. If the cavity is small, you may not need any numbing medicine during decay removal and filling placement. However, if the cavity is large, the dentist will numb the area prior to working on the tooth to ensure that your child does not experience any discomfort or pain during their appointment.

Next, the mouth will be properly isolated. Just like sealants, composite fillings are very sensitive to moisture. Therefore, the mouth must be kept dry with special paper stickers and cotton rolls during composite filling placement. Once the tooth is decay free and the mouth is properly isolated, the tooth will be treated with special cleaning and bonding agents. After that, the composite filling material will be placed and hardened with a special blue light. Finally, your brand new filling will be anatomically shaped, polished, and checked for proper fit and bite.

What Precautions Should I Take after My White Filling Placement?

If no numbing medicine was used during composite filling treatment, no special precautions are necessary and your child can eat and drink right away. If, however, the numbing medicine was used, this makes the lip, cheek and tongue numb on the side of the face where the filling was placed.

Children who have not experienced this feeling before may scratch, suck, or chew on the numb lip, cheek, or tongue, which can later cause uncomfortable swelling or bruising. To prevent this, we ask that you watch your child closely and do not give them anything hard to eat that requires chewing for 2 hours after treatment.

After the placement of dental fillings, some sensitivity may linger for a brief period. This should gradually subside. If it lasts for more than a few days, give us a call.

Caring for Your Composite Filling

The same rules that apply to taking care of your teeth also apply to composite fillings. In order to increase the longevity of your fillings, it is vital to keep up good oral hygiene at home with daily thorough brushing and flossing. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once a day will help protect the longevity of all dentistry. If oral hygiene is neglected or abandoned, you may end up with new cavities around your current composite fillings.

How Long Will My Filling Last?

The longevity of a white composite filling depends on several different factors like the size of the cavity, the type of composite material used, the technique used during filling placement, and the level of oral hygiene of the patient. If all of the above requirements are met, composite fillings in baby teeth should last for the lifetime of the baby tooth.

Studies performed with older composite materials on permanent teeth indicate that those fillings can last between five and seven years, on average. Conclusions from those studies are not very applicable to the state-of-the-art composite materials that we use in the office today, however! With advances in technology, composite fillings continue to get better. The duration of composite fillings will only increase in the future.

Contact Us to Schedule a Dental Exam

We look forward to welcoming you to our dental office! Give us a call to schedule your child’s next dental appointment!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my child have so many cavities?

If you bring your child to Wonderland Pediatric Dentistry regularly and brush and floss their teeth diligently at home, you may wonder why they keep having a problem with cavities when it comes to their visits. Dental decay happens for a wide variety of reasons. Here are some of the ways that you can reduce the amount of decay your child experiences:

Provide a healthy diet. Having a healthy, well-balanced diet that limits sugary and sticky foods will help protect the enamel covering your child’s teeth. Bacteria cause decay and they use sugary and starchy foods as fuel to reproduce and cause more damage.

Avoid bottle use at bedtime. After you brush your child’s teeth before bed, they should only have water in their bottle or sippy cup. Not allowing milk or sugary drinks after bedtime (and during naps) will help protect your child’s teeth at any age. Some of the most damaging drinks are fruit juices and soda. For older kids, energy drinks may be the culprit.

Be sure to use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride strengthens protective enamel and protects teeth from the softening effects of bacteria. While many toothpastes on the market claim to fight cavities, check out the label and make sure it contains fluoride.

Is fluoride safe for my child?

The American Dental Association states that fluoride is safe when properly used and administered. We recommend fluoride treatments based on your child’s needs. If they are particularly susceptible to decay, fluoride may provide a huge benefit to their oral health. We recommend it when necessary.

Many municipalities have fluoridated tap water. Not all communities have sufficient levels to prevent decay, as it varies from city to city and region to region. That is why using fluoride toothpaste every day is beneficial. Use only a small pea-sized amount for very small children until they learn how to properly spit it out of their mouths after brushing. Swallowing toothpaste may cause an upset stomach.

We completely understand that you want the best for your child and to protect them in any way you can. Fluoride has worked as a preventive measure for many decades, allowing people to keep their natural teeth for much longer than ever. Most people, with proper dental care, can enjoy their natural smiles for a lifetime.

If you have additional questions about fluoride, its benefits, or risks, we encourage you to discuss it with us. We value your concern for your child and are happy to work with you on developing a dental health care plan that you are comfortable with.

Meet Our Doctor:

Karina Bogdasarova, DDS, MS

Dr. Karina is a board certified pediatric dentist. She graduated with the highest grade point average from her dental class and was chosen valedictorian in her graduating class.

After dental school, she was accepted to and graduated from the Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital – one of the best pediatric dental residencies in the nation. During her residency, Dr. Karina worked with and learned from the nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field of pediatric dentistry. She received extensive training in the fields of restorative dentistry, dental trauma, ...