Treating Cavities Early Keeps Care Simpler
Tooth decay does not stop on its own. Once a cavity forms, the damage keeps spreading until the decayed portion is removed and the tooth is sealed and rebuilt. The good news is that a cavity caught before it grows large can usually be repaired with a straightforward filling. At Family Dentistry of Yorktown, Dr. Ken Wachs, DDS uses tooth-colored composite material that bonds to the tooth and matches its natural shade, so the repair is hard to notice when you smile. Putting off treatment allows decay to reach deeper layers of the tooth, which can eventually mean a dental crown, root canal treatment, or even replacing the tooth. As a member of the American Dental Association, Dr. Ken Wachs values routine exams with digital X-rays, which help us find small cavities while they are still easy to fix for patients in Yorktown Heights, Cortlandt Manor, and nearby communities.
Think you may have a cavity? Call 914-245-9881 to see Dr. Ken Wachs at Family Dentistry of Yorktown.
Tooth Colored Fillings
While metal (amalgam) fillings used to be common, tooth-colored composite material is now the most recommended filling material. The composite material blends in with the natural tooth and is less noticeable than a metal filling. The tooth-colored filling is not as affected by heat and cold as the metal fillings, so the patient is less likely to experience temperature-related sensitivity.
Another important reason composite fillings have replaced amalgam fillings is that they do not use mercury, which was present in metal fillings. Many patients are choosing to have their older amalgam fillings replaced with tooth-colored fillings for this reason.
