Fillings Don’t Have to Hurt

Did you know more than 20% of Americans have untreated cavities? That’s at least 60 million cavity-containing mouths! Yet millions go untreated every year because of a common fear of the pain associated with dental procedures.

Dental phobia is an oft-cited excuse to avoid dental visits, but there is really nothing to fear. Studio City Dental Center can assure you: getting fillings doesn’t have to be painful or ugly or terrible. In fact, local anesthesia makes the process relatively painless.

Plus, fillings can even be made to match the color of your teeth so there is no need to worry about discoloration. Your filling will be made of a composite material that matches your tooth coloration perfectly, leaving you with an even and beautiful smile.

But how do cavities occur? Every time you eat, bacteria in your mouth produces acid to break down the food. Unfortunately, the acid can have the unintended side effect of slowly breaking down your teeth as well. Therefore, while sugar isn’t exactly the cause of cavities, sugar is a carb, and any manner of carbohydrate will trigger the creation of this acid. The acid will first eat through the exterior layer of your tooth and then head into the interior tooth material where nerves and blood vessels lay, leading to severe toothache and pain.

Left untreated, the tooth can become infected. Studies have even linked untreated cavities to eventual coronary artery disease and endocarditis, two different kinds of heart disease. Considering the health dangers, and considering we can make it relatively painless, there is no good reason to delay a cavity filling! Call your local dentist in Studio City today at (818) 762-2977.