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Hey, my name is Shelly Katalgo. My love for sedation dentistry started in high school. My best friend had a severe fear of going to the dentist and I wanted to help her feel better about it. Although I always enjoyed my dental visits, I felt bad that she struggled so much with going to hers. My parents taught me about sedation dentistry and I instantly dreamed of becoming a dental professional. I wanted to help kids like my friend stay fear free throughout their appointments by using gentle techniques and professional medications. Although I opted to follow a different career path, my passion for dentistry remained throughout the years. I will update my site with developments in this industry as soon as they are reported. I will also discuss the benefits of sedation dentistry in detail. Thanks for visiting. I hope you come back soon.

Understanding The Importance of Sedation Dentistry

Dental Filling Aftercare: Important Dos And Don'ts

8 July 2015

Franklin Steward

Dental fillings are pretty standard procedures and are generally quite straight forward. However, as a patient, there are some things you should know and some things you should be aware of when it comes to aftercare on your filling. This way, you can ensure that your new filling lasts for many years to come and that your teeth are well taken care of following a cavity.

DO Exercise Special Care With Silver Fillings

First of all, understand that if you choose to go with a silver filling as opposed to a white filling (many people without insurance do this to save money), you will need to take some special precautions in the first few days after your filling is done. Specifically, you should try to avoid chewing on the side of the mouth with the filling for a few days, or to eat only very soft foods.

DON'T Ignore Sensitivity or Pain

While some sensitivity or pain at the injection site is common in the first couple days after your filling is done, it's important to keep an eye on prolonged pain or sensitivity, which could be the sign of a filling that did not cure correctly or needs to be redone. If your sensitivity or pain doesn't go away within the first week or so, contact your dentist for a follow-up dental treatment appointment so he or she can get to the bottom of the issue.

DO Return to the Dentist for an Imbalanced Filling

Another possible problem to be on the lookout for after a filling is balance. Once the numbness from your procedure wears off, bite down and make sure that everything feels normal; if any of the teeth you had filled feel like they're touching the rest of your teeth first when you bite down, you should return to your dentist to have the imbalance corrected. This process takes just a few moments and will not require any further anesthesia.

DON'T Expect a Deep Filling to Always Work

Finally, if you had a deep filling done in an effort to save a tooth from need a root canal, understand that these don't work 100% of the time, so there will still be a chance that you may need to have a root canal done. Your dentist should be able to determine whether or not this is the case the next time you have X-rays done in the office.

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