Poor oral hygiene as well as procrastinating your regular dental checkup at Stanley Hometown Dentistry LLC gives the bacteria living in your mouth the opportunity to exploit your otherwise healthy tooth enamel. In time, this can allow a cavity to form on one of your teeth.

If the cavity is small, Dr. James Gunelson might be able to repair the tooth decay with a composite or amalgam filling.

The treatment starts with your dentist numbing the tooth and surrounding gums before using a drill to remove the decayed enamel. This will provide a clean, healthy enamel surface for the final filling to adhere to.

The exact material your dentist recommends for your filling will depend on the tooth’s primary function and its appearance in your smile. Amalgam fillings are made from a blend of dental metals. They are dark in color yet durable, making them a better choice for repairing a back tooth than one that is visible in your smile.

For teeth where cosmetic appeal is also a factor, your dentist will often advocate using a composite resin filling. This is a special type of dental plastic material that can be shaded to perfectly match the color of the surrounding tooth enamel.

Once these filling materials have been applied, cured and hardened, they will repair the tooth for a long time to come.

If you’re concerned that you might have a cavity in Stanley, Wisconsin, you should call 715-644-3601 to have it examined and repaired at Stanley Hometown Dentistry LLC.