Cavity cleaned before filled?

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L505 - 17 Jun 2006 03:10 GMT

Are cavities recommended to be cleaned thoroughly before they are filled?
Or does the cavity just get filled in immediately?

By cleaning the cavity, I mean should the dentist actually go in the cavity and
gently clean it out specifically - not just a regular tooth polish/cleaning.

Reason I ask is I've never really had a dentist thoroughly clean a cavity before
filling it - they just go straight to the filling after a few pokes of
verification that it is a cavity.

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Mark & Steven Bornfeld - 17 Jun 2006 15:00 GMT

> Are cavities recommended to be cleaned thoroughly before they are filled?
> Or does the cavity just get filled in immediately?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> filling it - they just go straight to the filling after a few pokes of
> verification that it is a cavity.

    I am going to perhaps charitably assume that what you received was
actually occlusal sealants, where a resin is flowed over a defect on the
chewing surface.
    Cavities ordinarily must be opened up and the decayed material removed
thoroughly. The tooth is then shaped appropriately to retain the filling.
    Yes, the decay must all be cleaned out.

Steve

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Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

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L505 - 18 Jun 2006 18:53 GMT

> I am going to perhaps charitably assume that what you received was
> actually occlusal sealants, where a resin is flowed over a defect on the
> chewing surface.
> Cavities ordinarily must be opened up and the decayed material removed
> thoroughly. The tooth is then shaped appropriately to retain the filling.
> Yes, the decay must all be cleaned out.

I'll take closer notes next time, sounds logical.

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Joel344 - 18 Jun 2006 04:24 GMT

They used to apply phenol to cavities before
filling .. til they discovered it causes pulp necrosis!

QUESTION: How does one thoroughly clean "bacteria?"

They are really tiny ......

Joe

--
Joel34

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Joel344 - 18 Jun 2006 04:24 GMT

CORRECTION: I should have said "teensy,"
rather than tiny .. .those guys are REALLY small

--
Joel34

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L505 - 18 Jun 2006 18:53 GMT

> They used to apply phenol to cavities before
> filling .. til they discovered it causes pulp necrosis!
>
> QUESTION: How does one thoroughly clean "bacteria?"
>
> They are really tiny ......

Everyone goes and gets their teeth cleaned and polished at least once a year.
Cleaning the teeth removes stains and bacteria. It seems logical that cleaning a
cavity would offer similar effects.

Well, some steps to take would be:
1. freeze the area, to reduce pain first
2. force a drop of hydrogen peroxide into the cavity, and/or some other solution
that kills bacteria
3. use a pick to mechanically scrape off plaque
4. if the cavity was big enough, a really small drill attachment to polish the
area. However, if the cavity was this big it probably would mean pulling the
tooth anyway.
5. wash away after finished

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