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Cavity Filling in Scottsdale AZ (And Prevention Tips)

We understand that no matter how child-friendly we make our offices, for most children getting a cavity filled is no fun. And we also do not have to tell you how hard it can be to prevent your children from getting cavities by encouraging them to regularly brush and floss their teeth.

If your child has tooth decay, you should not feel like you have failed. According to the federal government data, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children in the United States:

  • A little more than half of children aged 6 to 8 years have tooth decay problems in their primary or “baby” teeth. The average number of primary teeth per child that have cavities or fillings is four.

  • About one in five children aged 6 to 11 years has tooth decay in one or more of their permanent teeth, with an average of two permanent teeth requiring fillings.

If your child needs a tooth filling or other dental work in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area, then you are in the right place. Read on to find out more about how we can help.

The Dental Filling Procedure

Filling a tooth cavity today is a routine matter that for children usually takes no more than an hour from start to finish. During this time we will make your child comfortable while numbing the area around the tooth that needs attention, and take X-rays if needed.

Once the tooth and surrounding gum tissue are sufficiently de-sensitized by the local anesthetic, one of our pediatric dentists will gently and carefully remove the decayed part of the tooth and replace it with a filling material. Once the filling is in we will clean up around it and polish it. Ordinarily, this entire procedure only takes a few minutes.

Once the pediatric dentist has finished putting the filling in place, you and your child are free to go on with the rest of your day. Any lingering numbness or soreness from the filling procedure should subside within a few hours.

Types of Dental Fillings We Use

We offer several dental filling options for your child based on cost, the expected durability of the filling material, and other considerations. Here we describe our most popular dental filling option for our patients (and their parents).

We Are a Mercury-Free Children’s Dentist

Although amalgam material, or “silver” fillings have been used by dentists since the 19th Century, at Ironwood Dental we do not use amalgam fillings. 

If your child comes to us with amalgam fillings already in place, we will provide dental services as we do with all our patients. 

If you choose, we can also replace old, silver amalgam fillings with more visually appealing tooth-colored restorations.

Tooth-Colored Restorations for Your Child

The material we use in your child’s filling is a tooth-colored resin composite. Its more advanced technology offers advantages you would expect over “silver” fillings and other metals like gold fillings:

  • Low visibility: We can match the color of the filling to the surrounding natural teeth, making it nearly undetectable. If your child has a cavity in a front tooth or in the side of a tooth that would be plainly visible using a silver amalgam filling, our tooth-colored fillings can be an appealing way to keep a beautiful smile.
  • Superior bonding: Ceramics adhere to the tooth better than silver amalgam fillings or ceramic fillings do, making them durable and long-lasting.
  • Minimal drilling: Instead of removing significant amounts of healthy tooth like amalgam filling requires, our tooth-colored restoration uses an overlay that bonds to the tooth to create a protective layer.
  • Built-in fluoride treatment: The material we use in our tooth restorations releases fluoride over time, helping to prevent further tooth decay in the area of the filling.
  • Affordability: Our tooth restorations are cost-competitive with amalgam-based cavity fillings and usually less expensive than porcelain fillings and metal fillings.
  • Tooth repair, not just fillings: In cases of tooth damage more serious than a cavity, like a chipped tooth, we can shape our tooth-colored restoration material to restore the shape of the tooth, making it hard for others to see that any damage ever happened.

Cavity Filling FAQs

How long does it take you to fill a cavity? 

Ordinarily, we can take care of your child’s cavity in one scheduled visit to our office. The procedure usually takes less than an hour. More serious dental conditions, including chipped or broken teeth or more serious tooth decay problems, may take longer for us to fix.

Do cavity fillings hurt?

Compared to older methods and materials used to treat cavities, our tooth restoration procedure minimizes any discomfort your child will experience. We will use a local, topical anesthetic to prevent pain during the process. Some minor soreness is not unusual after the procedure is complete and the anesthetic wears off, but this usually does not last longer than a few hours to one day.

Do you have offices to provide cavity fillings near me?

We offer convenient access to our child patients for cavity fillings in Scottsdale.

Do you offer emergency cavity filling appointments?

Yes. If your child has a dental emergency, you do not have to schedule an appointment to see an emergency dentist. In most cases, we can treat an emergency-walk in at the time, or offer a same-day cavity-filling appointment.

What kinds of payment do you take?

We accept many dental insurance plans, and can file insurance claims for you. We also offer flexible financing arrangements if you need them.

What is the average cost to fill a cavity?

The cost to fill a cavity depends on factors like its size and location. It can also be affected if we discover a need for more advanced treatment like a root canal. Usually, though, if you have insurance then after the deductible the average cost of dental fillings for a single tooth ranges from $100 to $250.

What are some tips to prevent cavities?

  • Limit frequency of meals and snacks
  • Encourage brushing, flossing, and rinsing
  • Watch what you drink
  • Avoid sticky foods
  • Make treats part of meals
  • Choose nutritious snacks

Schedule a Scottsdale Cavity Filling Appointment With Us Today

Dental cavities never get better by themselves. Left untreated, they can cause your child pain and discomfort in the short term and can lead to more serious tooth decay and gum problems later.

Taking care of your child’s dental health is the focus of all we do at Ironwood dental. Whether your child needs affordable cavity filling services or more advanced dental care services like root canals or orthodontics, we provide the full range of pediatric dental treatments in a kid-friendly environment that is welcoming, reassuring, and will put both you and your child at ease throughout the entire appointment.

Call us today at (480) 422-4544 to schedule a dental filling appointment, or you can request an appointment online if you prefer. If you have a dental emergency and need to see an emergency dentist right away, then bring your child to us and we will do our best to treat him or her right away or as soon as possible.

There is no reason why your child should suffer from untreated tooth decay. Call us today.