Tooth-colored Fillings are Your Treatment of Choice
Even with excellent at-home hygiene and in-office care, cavities happen. A chipped tooth decays. Enamel wears thin, and bacteria invades your tooth structure. Plaque accumulates in the deeply grooved surfaces of a molar.
Fortunately, restorative dentistry has used amalgam or gold fillings for decades to repair tooth structure and to allow for natural bite and function. However, both dentists and their patients have desired a filling material that matches tooth color and requires less removal of tooth structure surrounding a cavity.
And so, tooth-colored fillings were developed. Also termed white fillings or composite resin fillings, tooth-colored fillings are metal-free and shaded to blend in with a patient’s tooth color. Made from silicon dioxide (glass) and acrylic, this durable composite material fills small to moderately-sized cavities in any location in the mouth.
White fillings work wonderfully well at the front of the mouth which shows so prominently when an individual smiles or laughs. Also, Dr. Asra Javeed uses composite resin to fill small gaps and to repair fine cracks and other dental flaws.
The Filling Process is Comfortable and Easy
If Dr. Javeed discovers decay through visual inspection or X-rays, she numbs the area around the tooth with a local anaesthetic to ensure the patient is absolutely comfortable during the treatment. In other words, getting a filling does not hurt at all. In fact, when you restore a decayed tooth, you eliminate the pain that often results from the cavity.
Next, the dentist prepares the tooth surface with a drill and manual instruments. Because she uses the composite resin material, she needs to remove less enamel than if she were placing a metal filling. This is because the resin adheres right to the tooth structure.
After the tooth is prepared, Dr. Javeed places the composite resin in the site layer by layer. She bonds each layer with a special curing light that hardens the composite resin.
Additionally, she chooses a color which closely matches the natural shade of the tooth. After layering and sculpting the tooth for proper size, shape and bite, your dentist polishes the tooth-colored filling to a high sheen.
Composite resin fillings are very durable. Patients can expect them to last seven to 10 years or more with good at-home and in-office hygiene. They have the added benefit of eliminating dental sensitivity which is so common to metal fillings.
What is the Best Dental Filling?
Of course, the best dental filling is no filling at all. We all must do our best to avoid tooth decay by:
- Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush
- Flossing daily to remove bacteria-filled plaque
- Drinking plenty of water to wash tooth surfaces and increase saliva
- Eating a low sugar/carbohydrate diet with calcium-rich foods and plenty of fiber
- Getting semi-annual exams and hygienic cleanings at Smile Care Family Dentistry.
Find out More
When you see Dr. Javeed and her staff for your six-month check-up and cleaning, ask about tooth-colored fillings. They will explain the process and the advantages of this innovative material. Please contact Smile Care Family Dentistry today to arrange your appointment.