Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings: Benefits Over Metal Fillings of the Past
When patients come to Treiber Dental Center in Canton, they can expect excellent dental treatments that enhance overall dental health and wellness. This is because we offer the latest in restorative dentistry to address dental health problems while also taking basic aesthetic matters in mind.
With that, let's use this post to consider tooth-colored dental fillings and how they may be the right option for you.
About Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Tooth fillings typically were made up of an amalgam of materials that caused your teeth to take on the color of the metals. However, advancements in tooth filling technology have led dentists to develop a tooth-colored filling that blends in with your natural tooth structure.
Aesthetic Advantages of Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
The tooth-colored filling blends in so well with your natural tooth, most people can't even tell you've had any kind of dental procedure on the tooth. The same cannot be said about metal dental restorations. Not only are these more appealing cosmetically, they have been proven to be safe and predictable, making it easy for dentists to perform regular maintenance on these new filling materials.
Health Advantages of Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Often times, the metals used in fillings contained mercury, which presented a decent amount of risk to patients being treated with these metals. The metals also show a tendency to expand over time, creating the possibility of additional cracking and additional complications over time.
On the other hand, the contents of tooth-colored fillings contain no substances known to present additional risks to patients and serve as more of a bond to the affected tooth, causing no such expansion or cracking over time.
A More Ideal Treatment for Addressing Tooth Decay
The metal amalgams that were primarily used in the past did not bond the teeth together. Instead, they merely provided a cushion for the tooth where decay was starting to form. However, the resins used in tooth-colored fillings help bind the affected tooth, providing a much more permanent treatment to a cavity.
Additionally, even beyond a simple cavity or a small amount of tooth decay, these new tooth colored materials provides dentists with an easier way to restore a badly damaged tooth. These materials create a safe enough bond between the enamel and the materials for dentists to perform procedures on treated teeth unlike any other they previously were even able to attempt.
Better for Your Tooth's Health in the Long Run
Tooth-colored fillings also require less removal of the affected tooth. This is not just a procedure that is slightly less painful for the patient. The more tooth structure a patient can keep, the more likely the filling will serve as a long-term solution for the affected tooth.
While the silver amalgam metals were known to cause some degree of discoloration of the tooth over time, tooth-colored fillings do not present the same issue.
Going Beyond the Traditional Filling for Major Decay
Tooth-colored fillings are a great option if you are showing the first signs of decay. However, these may not be the most ideal treatment option for you if the damage is more extensive. If you require crowns or any other advanced treatment, please seek the counsel of your dentist to best inform of your treatment options.
Learn More About General Dental Care Treatment
To learn more about your many different options for advanced dental restorations, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry practice today. The team at Treiber Dental Center looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve excellent dental health.
