Having a Filling

One of the most amazing things about our teeth is that they can repair decay on their own using minerals in saliva — most of the time. The fluoride in toothpaste can also help with this repair process, which is called remineralization. However, if they decay is too advanced, the only option may be to fill the tooth.

We thought it might be helpful for you to know what happens during a filling and then, if you think your children would benefit from knowing, you can tell them. It’s quite complex so you might want to skip some parts and tailor other parts for your own children.

• First, the dentist will give them a local anesthetic to keep them from feeling any pain.
• The dentist will remove the decayed part of the tooth using special tools - some will whizz, whirl and tickle a little.
• The dentist will then blow water and air onto the tooth to clean and dry it.
• After that, the tooth will be etched with a mild acid to create a rough surface so the filling will stick better.
• Next, a bonding agent will be applied to the hole and hardened using a special bright light (your child might be especially interested in this almost magical part of the process).
• The dentist will then push the filling material into the cavity and shape it before hardening it and trimming it to the right shape.