Fillings are a common part of family dentistry in Mill Creek. They are done on young and old to help protect the teeth and the gums. While there are a lot of concerns over cost and pain, there will also be concerns about time.
Just how much time will you need to take out of your day to get a filling? Here’s all you need to know about fillings.
Expect About an Hour for the Filling
In most family dentistry in Mill Creek, the filling process is going to take about an hour. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in this short period of time, and some of that time is spent waiting for the anesthetic to work. After all, you won’t want to get a filling without your tooth being numbed!
It can take longer depending on how long it takes for the anesthetic to work. Everyone is different, but the dentist won’t start until your mouth is ready.
After that, there is the drilling, the filling of the teeth, and then the setting. The good news is setting doesn’t take that long at all. Dentists now have tools that will help the filling set quickly so you can go about your day as normal once the numbing has worn off.
You can leave the dentist with a numb mouth. It can take a couple of hours for the anesthetic to fully wear off, so you’ll want to avoid eating during that time. You won’t be able to feel it if you bite your cheek or tongue on that side depending on where the filling was!!
It Will Depend on the Number of Fillings
While most fillings in family dentistry in Mill Creek will take an hour, it does depend on the scope of the work needed. Not everyone is going to need only one filling. You may need to have multiple teeth worked on at the same time. In this case, it’s going to take longer to do the work.
Dentists won’t usually work on both sides of the mouth at once. Not with local anesthetic, anyway. If you need fillings on both sides of the mouth, you’ll either need to do it in two trips or you’ll need to be sedated.
If you need to be put under general anesthetic, you’ll find that the whole thing takes longer. This will depend on how long it takes for you to come around, but you’ll want to leave a few hours. This isn’t done at your usual family dentistry in Mill Creek. You’ll need a referral for a specialist in the majority of cases.
You will need someone to go home with you if you’ve been placed under sedation. That person will also need to be able to look after you for 24 hours or so.
Fillings are a common part of family dentistry in Mill Creek. When you only need one, it’s a routine treatment for dentists, and it’s going to take about an hour out of your day to get it done.
