What do dentists use to fill cavities?

A tooth filling can be either silver (amalgam) or tooth-colored composite resin. Our Woodland Hills office uses only composite cavity fillings. Amalgam fillings have been shown to need a larger area to properly bond to the tooth, requiring more of the natural tooth to be removed. They are also reactive to other metals you may put in your mouth. In addition to being healthier, composite fillings also have a much nicer aesthetic look, blending in with the rest of your tooth.

How much does a cavity filling cost?

Your filling is completely affordable with us! We exclusively use composite fillings at our office, which are slightly more costly than silver amalgam ones. However, they’re also safer and look so much better, flawlessly fitting in with the rest of your smile.

Does it hurt to fill a cavity?

When you come to our dental office, your filling will never be painful or uncomfortable. Even when you need a more intensive cavity treatment, like a root canal, you’ll always be completely comfortable with us. We offer a range of anesthesia and sedation options that ensure you’re perfectly at ease.

What does a cavity look like?

In the earliest stages of tooth decay, the surface of your tooth may have white, brown, or gray spots as your tooth loses its minerals. Once the decay breaks through the enamel to the softer inner tooth, a cavity will form, leaving a visible hole in your tooth.

How long should fillings last?

Your tooth fillings can last anywhere between 7 and 20 years. Just how long depends on a number of factors: the location, the size, and your dental hygiene. While you can’t control the first 2, you can drastically improve the lifespan of your filling just by making sure to brush twice and floss once daily as well as attending regular dental cleanings every 6 months.

How soon after a treatment can I eat?

Your composite filling hardens under UV light treatment immediately, meaning you can get a celebratory meal as soon as you leave our office. However, we often recommend you wait until the numbness has receded before you eat anything, which can last up to 2 hours after your procedure.

Painless Cavity And Filling Treatment In Woodland Hills

Dental Cavities Woodland Hills, California

Painlessly Treat Your Cavity in Woodland Hills

We’re the dental office you trust in Woodland Hills to handle tooth decay and cavities.

At Complete Health Dentistry, we understand completely how uncomfortable and relentless tooth pain can be. After all, toothaches aren’t just a nuisance. They can be a sign that something is wrong with your tooth and needs your attention. Come to our Woodland Hills office so we can treat your cavity immediately!

What is a cavity? Dental cavities, or tooth decay, are holes that develop in the enamel of a tooth from plaque buildup. Over time, plaque breaks down your tooth, creating larger and larger holes. The longer you wait to have a tooth filled, the more dental work is needed to fix the problem.

Tooth decay symptoms include:

- Toothache: Cavities are the leading cause of tooth pain and should not be taken lightly. Cavity pain is often a sign of severe dental decay and may require intensive treatments or even tooth removal if left ignored.
- Sensitivity: A dental cavity can lead to your tooth becoming sensitive to hot and cold temperatures as well as sugary sweets.
- Discolored teeth: What may start as white spots can turn darker as your dental decay worsens.
- Bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth: If you have persistent bad breath or an unpleasant taste in your mouth, even after brushing your teeth and using mouthwash, this could be caused by either a cavity or gum disease.
- Hole in your tooth: As the decay progresses without treatment, it will continue to wear away at your enamel into the inner layers of your teeth, often creating an easily-visible pit.

The best thing you can do when you have a tooth cavity is to call us right away to prevent further damage and decay. If you have severe tooth pain and need urgent dental care, call our Woodland Hills office 24/7 at (818) 225-0046 or request an appointment online.

Woodland Hills, California Tooth Decay Treatment

Treat Your Dental Cavity With Our Restoration Options

We make sure your smile and dental health bounce back with our restorative procedures at Complete Health Dentistry.

Small cavities can be treated using a dental cavity filling. After removing the decayed part of the tooth, your dentist will fill the hole left behind with a tooth-colored resin called composite. This both prevents the cavity from getting larger and reinforces your tooth.

When dental decay covers much of a tooth’s surface, severely weakening the enamel, your dentist may remove the infected tissue and place a dental crown, or cap, over the tooth. Crowns are often made of either tooth-colored porcelain, gold, base metals, and composite resin.

When a cavity moves past the outer enamel layer and into the soft, sensitive pulp at the center, you may hear your dentist bring up a root canal. The infected pulp will be removed and the remaining tooth sanitized before being filled. Depending on the tooth’s location, your dentist will choose either a tooth filling or a dental crown to reinforce the tooth.

In the most extreme cases, a tooth’s structure can become so decayed that it can’t be saved. There are 2 types of extractions: simple and surgical. Your removal option depends on whether the tooth is fully emerged (simple) or if the tooth has broken and is submerged beneath the gum line (surgical).

Dental Restoration Woodland Hills

Tooth Decay Stages

Don’t waste time not getting treated for your cavity! We’ll help your teeth however we can.

Dental decay isn’t something to be left untreated for too long. Failing to see your dentist at the first signs of decay can lead to painful symptoms and costly procedures that could otherwise be avoided.

Stage 1: White Spots
Also known as demineralization, as your cavity begins to form, you can see white or even brown spots start to build on the surface of your tooth. This decay is early enough that it can be reversed with fluoride treatments and good dental hygiene.

Stage 2: Enamel Decay
As the dental decay begins to wear away at the outer enamel layer of your teeth, your tooth can no longer be fully remineralized and the damage reversed. Once the enamel is completely eaten through, your tooth may become sensitive to temperature and sweets.

Stage 3: Dentin Decay
Once the decay breaks through the enamel, it reaches the next layer of your tooth, dentin. Dentin is softer and decays much faster than enamel, meaning quick detection and treatment is key. This is the stage in which the cavity is formed.

Stage 4: Pulp Decay
Soon, the cavity reaches the heart of the tooth: the soft inner pulp. Infections at this layer create pus that kills the blood vessels and nerves. At this stage, you’ll need a root canal procedure performed as the decay makes its way down to your tooth’s root.

Stage 5: Abscess Formation
In the final and most painful stage, the tooth infection exits the root into the surrounding gum and bone. A pus-filled pocket called a tooth abscess forms, which can be very dangerous if left untreated. The decay may become so severe that the tooth dies and can’t be saved or recovered. At this point, your dentist will need to remove the tooth.

Woodland Hills Tooth Cavity

Say Goodbye To Cavity Pain!

At Complete Health Dentistry, our team of expert dentists have done thousands of dental filling procedures on cavities caused by tooth decay. Trust us to do whatever it takes to help you get your teeth back to normal and being healthy. We always make sure you get the proper treatment needed to prevent and treat any dental problems that can threaten your dental health. In our Woodland Hills office, we practice gentle and easy procedures to make sure you are always comfortable and relaxed when you visit us. Our anesthetic and sedation options guarantee you’re never in any pain or discomfort.