Composite filling for perfect smile …Advantages & Disadvantages of tooth coloured filling

If at your most recent visit to the dentist, he or she gave you crummy news – another cavity – you have plenty to keep you motivated: The number of cavities and the need for fillings has decreased as people have become better able to care for their teeth, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). But they still happen. Fortunately, there are more types of fillings for teeth today than ever before.

Fillings vary in complexity and material. Some are direct fillings, placed “directly” in a cavity, although others are indirect, wherein an impression of the tooth is taken and a custom filling is created to fit around it. If your dentist suggests a tooth restoration, knowing what’s available can help you make the best choice for your mouth.

The purpose of a tooth filling, regardless of type, is restore teeth damaged by decay back to their normal function, while helping prevent further decay.

When a cavity is found, a number of factors are considered when deciding which type of filling material is best for you, including the extent of the damage, position within your mouth and mouth function.

Composite fillings are becoming increasingly popular for their natural look and health benefits.

Benefits of Composite Fillings

While there are multiple options for fillings, including gold; porcelain; and silver amalgam; composite fillings offer patients a more natural filler with a unique set of benefits, including:

• As as a sealant to prevent further decay
• Less toxic choice than silver amalgam
• Easily repaired with the simple addition of more composite material
• Natural colouring blends seamlessly with your own teeth

Composite

A composite tooth filling, typically made of powdered glass and acrylic resin, offers a few advantages over an amalgam filling. For one, the filling can be shaded to match the color of a person’s existing teeth, making it much less visible. As more people want natural-looking smiles, composite fillings have become increasingly popular.

Nonetheless, this type of filling isn’t always the right pick. The material it’s made from is less durable than a mix of metals, such as in amalgam, according to Thomas P. Connelly, DDS. Therefore, the useful life of a composite filing isn’t always as long as other options. It’s perfect as a small filling, and best suited for teeth that experience a moderate amount of pressure when chewing, compared to teeth that handle the bulk of your chewing action.

Tooth-colored Composites

Advantages of composites:

1. Aesthetics — the shade/color of the composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth. Composites are particularly well suited for use in front teeth or visible parts of teeth.
2. Bonding to tooth structure — composite fillings micro-mechanically bond to tooth structure, providing further support.
3. Versatility — in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken, or worn teeth.
4. Tooth-sparing preparation — sometimes less tooth structure needs to be removed compared with amalgam fillings when removing decay and preparing for the filling.

Disadvantages of composites:

1. Lack of durability — composite fillings wear out sooner than amalgam fillings (lasting at least five years compared with at least 10 to 15 for amalgams); in addition, they may not last as long as amalgam fillings under the pressure of chewing and particularly if used for large cavities.
2. Increased chair time — because of the process to apply the composite material, these fillings can take up to 20 minutes longer than amalgam fillings to place.
3. Additional visits — if composites are used for inlays or onlays, more than one office visit may be required.
4. Chipping — depending on location, composite materials can chip off the tooth.
5. Expense — composite fillings can cost up to twice the cost of amalgam fillings.

In addition to tooth-colored, composite resin fillings, two other tooth-colored fillings exist — ceramics and glass ionomer.

All About Composite Fillings

The Pros, Cons, and History of Composite Resins For Tooth Fillings

Mentone dentistry describes composite resins as plastic mixtures that are clinically used in a variety of ways to restore or repair portions of misshapen or impacted teeth. The most common application of composite fillings is to fill in the tooth cavities (esp. molars) that have tooth decay. This procedure is done mainly on children, because their knack for sweets most of the time leads to. The durability of the composite resin is not expected to last a lifetime, depending on the tolerance and the method used to seal the crater of the cavity. More recently, new synthetic resins have been created that are expected to last for decades.

Why Choose Composite Fillings

Many people choose composite fillings over silver (amalgam) fillings due to their appearance, but they also may be doing their teeth a favor. For a tooth colored filling to be placed, far less tooth structure needs to be prepared. For silver fillings, more of the tooth structure is ground down or removed in order for the filling to stay in place. This means composite fillings can help promote overall tooth stability since less of the tooth is removed. There is less of a risk for the tooth to become weak and break or crack off. Because they are less invasive, composite fillings are naturally smaller. If a composite filling needs to be changed out, there is more tooth to work with. Amalgam fillings are difficult to replace after even one time, as there may not be enough tooth structure to work with. For those cases, the next step is a crown. Composite fillings help prevent more invasive treatments like crowns, thereby resulting in a more natural smile.

Composites For Teeth & Gums

In the past whenever gums receded away from a crown, the metal base would show as a dark line against the tooth. Likewise, if ever a small sliver of porcelain came off of a fused metal crown, the underlying metal would show through. Because fused metal crowns are fabricated in a laboratory at high temperatures, there was never an option to correct these aesthetic problems inside of the patient’s mouths. The only option was to wait until the life of the crown elapsed and then replace it entirely. Newer composite and resin crowns are now made entirely of porcelain. There is never a risk of having underlying metal show again.

A Safe Choice

Composite (tooth colored) filling are a safe and reliable option that dentists have been using for many years. Dentists have managed to develop this method so that it can blend in with your natural teeth so that it is not immediately obvious that you have a filling. They also make them strong and durable so that you can go about eating and chewing as normal. The pain and sensitivity you were suffering from should go away after the filling is complete. It also takes a shorter time to recover from this procedure so that you can get to your normal routine as soon as possible.

A Mentone Dentist For Fillings

At Parkdale Family Dental every patient that walks through our door is treated like family and is given the very best care. Our Parkdale Dentists strive to provide long term dental care and focus on preventative dentistry so your smile is bright, happy and healthy or years to come Call us on (03) 9070 3509 or visit our website: https://parkdalefamilydental.com.au/ for details.