Composite resins, more commonly known as tooth-colored fillings, can fill cavities on any tooth. They prevent cracks and can withstand the pressure of regular chewing. White fillings are used to make the tooth blend in with the other teeth.

Placing a white filling doesn’t always involve numbing because the fillings are chemically bonded to the teeth. Numbing/anesthetizing is normally used if the decay has moved beyond the tooth to the dentin layer near the tooth’s nerve.

When decay is removed from a tooth, we will clean the tooth and apply a weak acid called a primer to that tooth. Primer is used to open pores in the patient’s enamel and dentin. Then, a bonding agent enters those pores, and curing begins. Curing is when the bonding agent sticks to the tooth-colored filling and then goes inside the tooth.

The filling will be shaped to match the natural anatomy of the patient’s tooth, and then the filling will harden. Once hardened, we will check the patient’s bite to ensure that all teeth still fit together properly. The dentist will smooth and polish the filling as necessary. We will also floss between all the child’s teeth before they leave.