Learning that you have to have a dental procedure strikes fear into the hearts of many patients. But just like in many other situations, knowledge is power. Since many children and adults don’t have dental work done that often, they’re simply unfamiliar with what will happen once they arrive at the dentist’s office. As a trusted source for James Island dentistry, Dr. Dale Probst and his staff want to walk you through what you should expect when you go in for a filling.
The need for additional dental work is usually discovered when you go in for a routine cleaning and examination. Or perhaps you have pain in your teeth, mouth, or gums and you called to get relief. Either way, dentists know that they need to fix something. In many cases, it’s something relatively simple like a cavity. Although you may not enjoy the experience, it’s routine for your dentist and shouldn’t cause you major anxiety.
When you arrive, you’ll be given an in a local anesthetic such as Novocaine. If you’re concerned about the pain of the injection, ask if they have any numbing gel that can be put on your gums. After the mouth is numb, your dentist or dental assistant will place gauze around your tooth to keep it dry. They’ll then drill into the area to remove the decayed areas. The drilling will go just deep enough to get all the bad parts of the tooth out and to make sure the filling material will stay put. The filling material will then be placed in the now clean hole. It will be added in small amounts, then cured with a special light until the hole is filled. Then the tooth will be ground down to match the smoothness and shape of your other teeth. Your tooth will be as good as new!
Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be an anxiety producing event for anyone. For gentle James Island dentistry, call the office of Dale Probst, DMD. We’re a dentist near you that can take care of all your general, family, and cosmetic dentistry needs.
