A filling is a way to fix a small hole or cavity in a tooth. When a tooth has a cavity, the dentist removes the damaged part and fills it with a dental material.
When bacteria in our mouth meet sugars and starches from food, they make acid. This acid can attack the outer layer of our teeth (enamel) and take away minerals. If this happens a lot, you might see a white spot, which means the tooth is starting to decay. At this point, our teeth can repair themselves using minerals from saliva and toothpaste with fluoride. But if too many minerals are lost, the enamel gets weak and forms a cavity.
If the decay gets worse, it can create a big hole or damage the whole tooth. If we don't treat it, it can cause pain, infection, or even make us lose the tooth.
Typically, by the time you feel toothache, it's a sign that cavities have progressed, possibly nearing or already reaching the nerve inside your tooth. At that stage, more extensive treatments like root canal therapy are often necessary. It's advisable to undergo filling procedures before reaching such a critical point to prevent further complications.
It's best to prevent cavities, but if you have one, it can be fixed. Dentists usually use a filling material called composite resin. These fillings are popular nowadays because they are strong and look like the color of our teeth.
