How to Determine if a Filling is Needed

Video Transcript

"So, do you wonder if you think you need a filling? Well my name is Michelle and I'm a dental assistant with Solutionz and I'm going to explain to you on how to determine if you need a filling. It's pretty easy. Some of the side effects of a cavity or basically well, first of all, what a filling is is it basically is what it is called. It fills the tooth, if you have a cavity in the tooth and the way to determine that is to kind of just take a look around in your mouth, be very aware of your teeth. If you see any like deep dark yellow, almost like orange-ish color of staining on your tooth, nine times out of ten that's decay. And it's going to need a filling. So what a filling is you go to your dentist, he actually drills out the decay. He places a composite material in there which usually is tooth-colored material and he fills your tooth. Now to fully determine if you need a filling, some of the side effects and the signs are your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold temperatures, also they're sensitive to whenever you eat sweets as far as like chocolates or sugars. Because the sugar has the bacteria in it which the bacteria will you know kind of activate the decay to start forming. And which is going to start eating away at your enamel and then that's why you're going to start getting sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, so mainly just really kind of being aware of you know, sensitivity to your teeth, whenever you're biting down to pressure, if you have - feel like little shooting pain, and also too with whenever you're eating sweets. Those are all side effects on how to determine if you need a filling. But you definitely want to go visit your general dentist at least twice a year for your exams, so therefore he can do his thorough routine visits with you and kind of really kind of poke around in there and just see if you have any little cavities that are starting to form. But, once again my name is Michelle and I'm a dental assistant with Solutionz and I just helped you to determine on if you need a filling."