Dental Fillings for Better Teeth

Dental Fillings for Better Teeth

Dental fillings are required when decay has created a cavity in a tooth. If the tooth decay is not treated promptly bacteria can cause a spreading infection of the teeth and it may lead to tooth loss. There are various options for the material used when filling a tooth.

Composite and silver amalgam fillings

When old fillings need replacement or new cavities in your teeth require attention, you have a number of choices for the type of filling to be used:

• Composite or white fillings
• Silver amalgam fillings
• Porcelain fillings
• Gold fillings

Composite and dental amalgam fillings are the most widely used.

Composite fillings are the most popular fillings because of their excellent natural appearance and strength. A composite filling is selected so that it matches the color of your surrounding teeth as closely as possible. These fillings are almost impossible to detect and are an excellent replacement for chipped, stained, or leaking fillings.

These fillings may also be used to bond a weak tooth together, reducing the risk of fracture in an extensively filled tooth. Composite fillings can also be fitted into very small holes, requiring less drilling in the target tooth. Composite fillings are more expensive than silver amalgam.

Silver amalgam fillings provide a cost-effective way of filling teeth. A small to moderate-sized amalgam filling can last decades before it wears out and requires replacement. Dental or silver amalgam fillings are made up of combination of tin, silver, mercury, and copper.

Some people — those with kidney diseases, children, pregnant women, and women who are breastfeeding — are advised to avoid getting new amalgam fillings or having existing ones removed or replaced.

If you think you may need a new filling, or the replacement of an older filling, call us to book an appointment.