Dental Fillings in Winston-Salem

You might take excellent care of your teeth and commit to routine dental visits and conscientious oral hygiene and still get a cavity!

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, particles can slip between teeth where flossing and brushing can't reach. Whatever the reason a cavity occurs, there’s no reason to despair. Filling a cavity is typically a quick procedure, and correcting the problem as soon as possible is essential to protect the tooth from further damage. At Pryor Dental, our goal is to support your goal of excellent oral health by offering affordable, conservative dental treatments.

While dental fillings have long shifted away from dark metal amalgams, modern restorative dentistry has taken another massive leap forward. At Pryor Dental, we use next-generation nano-hybrid composite resins. These advanced materials contain microscopic ceramic particles that drastically increase the strength of the filling, resist staining, and mimic the natural translucency of your tooth enamel perfectly. If you suspect you have a cavity or want to schedule an appointment for dental fillings in Winston Salem, please call our local dental office today.

What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?

Modern composite fillings use an advanced blend of nano-ceramic and resin particles. This sophisticated chemistry allows the material to bond seamlessly to your tooth structure with virtually zero shrinkage during the curing process. The result is a highly durable, micro-sealed restoration that resists wear and tear while perfectly reflecting light just like natural enamel. Tooth-colored composites can help strengthen and protect your teeth and have a wide variety of dental uses. There is a vast spectrum of shades to choose from to match your existing smile.

Natural-Looking Appearance

The tooth-colored composite filling material is made of glass and resin particles, and the result is very similar in appearance to dental enamel. We can shade the filling to match your natural tooth shade perfectly.

When the process is complete, the restoration blends in so perfectly that you won't even be able to tell where your natural tooth ends and the filling begins. Unlike older silver fillings that can darken a smile over time, composite resin maintains its bright, natural look for years.

Cosmetic Benefits

Tooth-colored fillings are shaded to match the rest of your smile, making them a popular choice for fixing dental cosmetic flaws, including:

• Repairing chipped teeth
• Filling in gaps and spaces between teeth
• Restoring cracked teeth
• Reshaping teeth

When placing a composite filling, we don’t need to remove a lot of existing structure since we bond the material directly to your tooth. This secure bond strengthens and restores the tooth. Traditional silver fillings often require removing a significant amount of healthy tooth structure just to hold the filling in place. Because metal expands and contracts with temperature changes, these older fillings can eventually pull away from the tooth. This leaves tiny gaps where bacteria can hide. Composite fillings, by contrast, bond directly to your natural tooth, allowing Dr. Pryor to keep your tooth strong while removing only the damaged areas.

Over the years, the amalgam breaks down and starts pulling away from your tooth, creating a space for bacteria to enter and cause further damage and decay to the tooth. Composite restorations are one of the most common treatments provided under the scope of conservative general dentistry in Winston-Salem, allowing us to halt decay while leaving the maximum amount of healthy tooth intact. If you think you might have a loose filling or want to have your existing ones checked, give our Winston-Salem dental office a visit.

We can usually complete a tooth-colored composite filling in one visit to our Winston-Salem, NC dental office. During your procedure, Dr. Pryor will discuss your treatment with you beforehand to make sure you understand the process. Your comfort is our main priority. Dr. Pryor uses precise, gentle numbing techniques to ensure you feel completely relaxed and comfortable throughout the quick process.

One reason we like using tooth-colored fillings is that we can remove fewer healthy parts of the tooth to hold the filling. Composite fillings can bond to the tooth in a way other dental restorations can’t. During the procedure, we carefully remove the tooth decay.

Next, Dr. Pryor utilizes advanced bonding protocols to prep the tooth. By treating the microscopic layers of the tooth with modern desensitizing adhesives, we create an incredibly secure, long-lasting seal. The composite material is then sculpted precisely into place and hardened instantly using a specialized LED curing light.

You can return to eating and speaking normally almost immediately after the numbness wears off. It is completely normal to feel mild sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures for a few days as the tooth heals. If that sensitivity lasts longer than a week, just give our Winston-Salem team a quick call so we can double-check your bite.

Many of our patients enjoy the natural-looking appearance of tooth-colored fillings, but they eventually need to be replaced. During your dental visits, Dr. Pryor will check your fillings to ensure that they are not loose. Loose fillings can allow bacteria to get trapped inside and cause further decay. One of the reasons we promote regular dental checkups is to watch for tooth decay and to check on dental restorations already in place.

This way, we can fix small dental issues before they become complex oral problems.

Replacing Metal Fillings in Winston-Salem

Your fillings can last for many years, but sometimes they need to be replaced due to normal wear and tear. We can be pretty hard on our teeth when we chew hard food or grind our teeth; even the aging process can cause fillings to break down. If you need to replace your old metal fillings, we can use tooth-colored fillings to protect and strengthen the tooth.

Dental Bonding Services

The same durable composite material we use for fillings can also transform minor smile imperfections through a process called cosmetic dental bonding. If you have a chipped tooth, an annoying gap between your front teeth, or an unevenly shaped tooth, Dr. Pryor can skillfully sculpt the resin to reshape your smile in just one short visit.

Cavities occur when bacteria in the mouth creates acid that eats through the tooth. Tooth decay can also happen when food particles become trapped between teeth and you don't remove them with brushing and flossing.

The biggest culprits of tooth decay are sugary foods and drinks. Sugar creates an acidic environment that leads to cavities by weakening the enamel. A good habit to practice is rinsing your mouth after eating a sugary snack to prevent acids from forming.

Factors That Contribute to Tooth Decay

• Poor oral hygiene
• Plaque
• Not drinking enough water
• Sweet food and drinks
• Medical issues

Tips to Prevent Cavities

• Brush twice daily for two minutes
• Floss each day
• Dental visits twice a year
• Regular dental exams and digital x-rays
• Avoid sugary foods and sodas
• Use fluoridated toothpaste

Schedule Your Dental Fillings in Winston-Salem Today

Patients seeking top-tier dental fillings in Winston Salem choose composite restorations because they match the natural look and shade of their real teeth. Composite fillings also avoid any issues created by amalgam fillings.

We choose composite fillings because they are the healthiest, most beautiful option for protecting your long-term oral health. If you suspect you have a cavity, or if you simply want Dr. Pryor to take a look at your older restorations, we are here to help. Contact the Pryor Dental team today to schedule your visit and keep your smile healthy and bright.