Dental Fillings Shelby, NC
Traditionally, dental fillings have been made from a material called amalgam, which is made of several types of metals, including tin, copper, silver, and mercury. For over 150 years, amalgams have been the easiest and most long-lasting cavity filling material available, but there have been recent health concerns over the inclusion of mercury. The strength and durability of this traditional dental material makes it useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, often in the back of the mouth.
Composite resin fillings were introduced in the 1960s and eventually became an industry standard at most dental practices since they were more natural looking and safer than metal fillings. These fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth and are virtually undetectable. These compounds, often called composite resins, are usually used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important, but they can also be used on the back teeth depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay.
What’s right for me?
Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity, and expense of dental restorations, including:
- The components used in the filling material
- The amount of tooth structure remaining
- Where and how the filling is placed
- The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
- The length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth
Before your treatment begins, your Shelby, NC dentist will discuss all of your options with you and help you choose the best filling for your particular case. In preparation for this discussion, it may be helpful to understand the two basic types of dental fillings — direct and indirect.
- Direct fillings are fillings placed into a prepared cavity in a single visit. They include silver amalgam, glass ionomers, resin ionomers, and composite (resin) fillings. The dentist prepares the tooth, places the filling, and adjusts it in one appointment.
- Indirect fillings generally require two or more visits. They include inlays, onlays, and veneers fabricated with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics, or composites. They are used when a tooth has too much damage to support a filling but not enough to necessitate a crown. During the first visit, the dentist prepares the tooth and makes an impression of the area to be restored. The dentist then places a temporary covering over the prepared tooth. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory, which creates the dental restoration. At the next appointment, our Shelby, NC dentist cements the restoration into the prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.
The Facts About Composite (Tooth-Colored) Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings, also called cosmetic or composite fillings, can help restore your damaged teeth and provide cosmetic beauty. Placed by your Shelby dentist, this type of filling is an excellent choice for repairing a tooth. Teeth that are chipped, cracked, decayed, damaged, stained, or discolored can all benefit from a cosmetic filling.
Cosmetic fillings can also replace bulky, unsightly metal fillings. Large metal fillings can actually weaken a tooth, structurally cutting the tooth in half. When you bite hard on a large metal filling, there is a good chance the filling can fracture, taking part of your precious tooth structure with it. On the other hand, cosmetic tooth-colored fillings can strengthen damaged teeth because the material used actually bonds your tooth structure together.
Cavity Treatment Using Composite Fillings
The first step in your treatment is for our dentist in Shelby, NC to remove all traces of decay and any old, existing filling material if present, to create a clean, disease-free area. Next, we will prep the tooth for the filling, then use the liquid resin composite material to fill the prepped area. The filling will be carefully shaped and molded. Then, the composite material is hardened using a high-tech ultraviolet “curing” light. As a final step, our dentist will further shape and polish the filling to perfection. The finished product is a durable filling that will look and feel natural in your mouth.
