Your New Composite Fillings
We have restored some of your teeth with tooth-colored materials. The resin material used contains small, filler particles of glass-like material for strength and wear resistance. These restorations should serve you well for several years. They contain the finest and most up-to-date materials available today. However, you should be aware of the following information about your new restorations:
Composite Fillings Post Op — Information to Be Aware Of
Chewing and Eating After Fillings
After getting composite fillings, avoid chewing excessively hard foods on the filled teeth (hard candy, ice, raw carrots, etc.), just like with natural teeth. The resin material can break under extreme forces. Composite fillings set up hard right away, so there is no waiting time to eat.
If we used an anesthetic, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off to avoid accidentally biting your lip, cheek or tongue. Children should be observed until the anesthetic wears off. Due to the strange feeling of the anesthetic, many children will chew the inside of their lips, cheeks or tongue, which can cause injury.
Brushing and Flossing
Proper brushing, flossing and regular six-month cleanings are essential to the long-term stability and appearance of your restorations. Often, problems that may develop with composite fillings can be found at an early stage and repaired easily. Waiting for a longer time may require more extensive treatment.
Composite Fillings and Sensitivity
Sensitivity to hot and cold is common for a few weeks following a dental restoration. Usually, the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth will be. Also, the gum tissue and anesthetic injection site could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days.
The finished restoration may be shaped slightly different and have a different texture than the original tooth. Your tongue usually magnifies this small difference, but you will become accustomed to this in a few days.
If you feel the bite is not correctly balanced, this may also cause tooth sensitivity. Please call 619-858-8080 to schedule an appointment with our dentists for a simple adjustment.
Warranty
When a tooth has a cavity, our dentists and team remove the decay and fill the hole with a filling material supported by the remaining tooth structure. The ideal filling should be no more than 50 percent of the tooth, leaving half the tooth to support the filling. When you get a cavity that takes up 60 percent or more of the tooth, a crown is indicated. A crown covers the entire tooth and holds the now unsupported tooth structure together. Sometimes, we place a filling thinking there is enough tooth to hold the filling when actually there is not. The tooth then starts to break away because it can no longer support the large filling. If within 12 months of a filling placement it is determined a crown is needed, we will credit the cost of the filling towards the crown as a courtesy. This warranty is null and void if the patient does not maintain their prescribed (minimum of every 6 months) regular hygiene appointments.
If you have questions or concerns about your composite fillings, please call 619-858-8080 or send an email to patients@coastaldentalarts.com. Your comfort and satisfaction are very important to Dr. David Chotiner, his associates and our team in San Diego, California at Coastal Dental Arts.