General Dentistry

Tooth fillings in Scottsdale

Remove the decay, seal the tooth, and keep a small problem from becoming an expensive one.

Opening soon in Scottsdale. Call (480) 750-1351 to ask about consultation dates, or use the form and we will come back to you with the first appointments available.

Tooth Fillings at Glisten

A cavity does not heal. It grows.

A cavity is a spot where bacteria have dissolved the tooth's mineral structure. Once the enamel is breached, decay moves faster in the softer layer beneath it, and left alone it reaches the nerve. That path runs from a filling to a crown to a root canal to an extraction, in that order, each step bigger than the last.

A filling stops the sequence at the cheap end. Dr. Dawood removes the decayed structure, disinfects and seals the space with tooth-colored composite, and the tooth goes back to work. Caught at a routine exam, the whole thing takes well under an hour.

Why patients come in

Sensitivity to cold or sweets that is new
A rough edge your tongue keeps finding
Food packing between two teeth
An old filling that feels off or looks dark at the edges

What to expect

A filling appointment, step by step.

01
Numbing and isolation

Topical gel first, then local anesthetic, and the work does not start until the tooth is genuinely numb. The tooth is then kept dry and isolated, because moisture is the single biggest enemy of a good bond. This step is invisible to you and decisive for the filling's lifespan.
02
Decay removal

The decayed structure is removed and the cavity is cleaned, with care to take everything infected and nothing healthy. If the decay runs deeper than the X-ray suggested and the nerve is close, you hear about it in the chair, not at the front desk afterward.
03
Layered placement

The composite is placed in thin layers, each hardened with a curing light. Layering controls the internal stresses that cause early failure, and the shade was matched to your enamel before the tooth dried out, so the repair disappears.
04
Bite check and polish

The filling is shaped to your bite, marked with articulating paper, and adjusted until you close evenly, then polished smooth. A filling that is even slightly high will make itself known within days, so this step gets the time it needs.

Candidacy

Is a filling enough for your tooth?

A good fit when

A new cavity caught at a routine exam
A small chip or worn spot on an otherwise healthy tooth
An old filling with early edge breakdown, caught before decay gets under it
You want the most conservative repair that will reliably hold

Worth a conversation first when

Decay that is close to the nerve, which may need a protective liner and monitoring
A tooth where the cavity takes most of the chewing surface, which is onlay or crown territory
Heavy grinding, which shortens every filling's life without a night guard

The size of the fix is decided by the tooth, not the fee schedule. If a filling will hold, a filling is the recommendation. If it will not, you will see the reason on your own X-ray before anyone schedules the bigger option.

What can go wrong.

Sensitivity to cold and heat for a week or two after a filling is normal, especially on deeper ones. Sensitivity that worsens instead of fading, lasts past a few weeks, or turns into spontaneous throbbing means the nerve is unhappy and the tooth needs a recheck. Come back rather than waiting it out.

Fillings are not permanent. Composite serves for years, and the usual failure is not the filling breaking but new decay sneaking in at the seam where filling meets tooth. That seam is exactly what daily flossing and your cleaning visits defend.

Living with it.

Composite is fully hardened when you leave, so the only immediate rule is to avoid chewing until the numbness wears off. Cheek and tongue bites are the most common filling-day injury, and they happen entirely because people eat while numb.

Long term, treat the filled tooth like a tooth: brush, floss the contact, and keep your cleaning interval. If the bite ever feels high or the edge feels rough, that is a five-minute adjustment, and small adjustments are always easier than the problems they prevent.

Worth knowing

What separates a filling that lasts from one that does not.

Why isolation matters more than material

Every office stocks tooth-colored composite. What determines whether it lasts is the bond, and the bond fails for one main reason: moisture. Saliva or blood touching the tooth during placement weakens the seal microscopically, and a weakened seal is where decay re-enters a year or two later. This is why fillings here are placed under strict isolation, even though it takes longer to set up.

It is also why a cheap, fast filling is expensive. The material is the same everywhere. You are paying for the dryness of the field, the layering, and the bite calibration, none of which you can see and all of which you will feel over the next decade.

Old silver fillings: replace or leave alone

Plenty of adults carry silver amalgam fillings placed decades ago, and most of them are fine. An amalgam that is sealed, intact, and decay-free does not need replacing, and removing it sacrifices some healthy tooth structure in the process. Dr. Dawood's default is to leave sound old work alone and watch it.

Replacement earns its place when the edges are breaking down, decay is forming underneath, or the filling is cracking the tooth around it, all of which show on exam and X-ray. If yours are fine, you will be told they are fine. If one is failing, you will see the evidence before it is touched.

The decision

Filling, onlay, or crown?

Composite filling

Right when decay is small to moderate and the surrounding tooth is strong. The most conservative fix, done in one visit, matched to your enamel.

Ceramic onlay

Right when the damage is too wide for a filling to hold reliably but the tooth does not need full coverage. A lab-made piece that preserves more natural tooth than a crown.

Crown

Right when the remaining walls are too thin to trust. Covering the tooth is more dentistry than a filling, and Dr. Dawood will show you on the X-ray why the smaller options would fail.

Not sure whether a watch or a filling is right? Dr. Dawood will show you the image and explain which way the decay is heading.

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Questions

Tooth Fillings FAQ

Will getting a filling hurt?

Not during the procedure. The tooth is numbed before anything starts, and you should feel vibration and pressure rather than pain. If anything feels sharp, say so and Dr. Dawood adds more anesthetic. Afterward, some temperature sensitivity for a week or two is common, especially on deeper fillings, and it fades on its own.

How long does a composite filling last?

Lifespan varies, and good home care is the biggest lever you control. It depends on the filling's size, where it sits, whether you grind, and how well the seam between filling and tooth is flossed. Big back fillings work harder than small ones.

Can I eat right after a filling?

Yes, once the numbness is gone. Composite is fully cured before you leave the chair. Eating while numb is how cheeks and tongues get bitten, so give it a few hours and then eat normally.

Why is my tooth sensitive after a filling?

Brief irritation of the nerve is normal after decay removal, especially when the cavity was deep, and it settles over one to two weeks. Sensitivity that gets worse, lingers past a few weeks, or throbs on its own is not normal. Call, because that pattern sometimes means the tooth needs more than a filling.

Should I have my old silver fillings replaced?

Only if they are failing. A sealed, intact amalgam is best left alone, since removal costs healthy tooth structure. When the edges break down or decay forms underneath, replacement is the right call, and Dr. Dawood will show you the evidence either way.

What if my filling falls out?

Call and come in promptly. The exposed cavity collects debris and decay quickly, and a filling replaced within days is usually a simple refill. One ignored for weeks often needs a bigger restoration. Never glue it back yourself.

Ready to talk it through?

Request a consultation at the Scottsdale studio.