Toothaches cause some of the worst pain a person ever experiences. When your tooth hurts, it’s hard to eat or drink anything, so you have to take care of it right away. In most cases, that means making an appointment with the dentist. For some people though, the thought of sitting in a dental chair invokes anxiety. If you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, you might not know about the changes to dental technology in recent years.
You might be surprised that Novocain isn’t always necessary for a tooth filling. In fact, many people today get their teeth filled without a shot. These people don’t necessarily have a higher pain tolerance than anyone else. They’re merely taking advantage of the advances in dental treatment that are available to them today. With the help of laughing gas and distraction, a minor tooth filling could be done much more quickly and without the discomfort of numbing medication.
Patients today also have more options when it comes to the material used to fill cavities. In the past, the silver filling was standard for back teeth. However, amalgam material weakens teeth and is noticeable if you smile. Composite fillings were once reserved for the front of the front eight teeth. Today these filling are the most commonly used because they not only match the color of teeth, they are stronger than silver fillings so a tooth that gets filled with composite material may not be as likely to get another cavity or need to be extracted.
If your tooth hurts, you don’t need to avoid going to the dentist over a fear of additional pain. Contact the Chicago Beautiful Smiles office to schedule an appointment to get the treatment you need to alleviate your current discomfort and get you on a path to great oral health.
