In the past, there were a grand total of two choices for dental fillings: gold and amalgam fillings, which are a mixture of silver, mercury, and other metals. When you had a filling, everyone knew it when you flashed your smile as the metals contrasted so much with your pearly whites.
Fortunately, times have changed, and dentists have the ability to provide dental fillings that match your teeth — called composite fillings — and make your smile much more attractive.
The stellar Expressions in Dentistry dental team is happy to offer fillings that blend seamlessly with your natural tooth shade and ensure a far more dazzling smile as compared to one that’s peppered with flashes of silver.
Tooth-colored fillings are just one of the exciting cosmetic dentistry options that patients have at Expressions in Dentistry, which also include veneers and cutting-edge whitening treatments.
Dental fillings get their name because they literally fill damaged areas of your tooth that have been affected by decay.
All dental fillings restore your teeth and make them stronger, but, like most things in life, you have choices when it comes to the material you’ll use for your fillings.
When it comes time to discuss your filling material choices at Expressions in Dentistry, your dentist will be eager to have an in-depth conversation with you about the benefits of fillings that match your teeth and answer all your questions. They’ll outline advantages like:
The most obvious advantage of tooth-colored fillings is that they can be custom matched to your natural teeth. No longer do you have to feel self-conscious about smiling wide!
Composite fillings are tough, and you can eat and chew normally with them.
If sensitivity occurs after the placement of your tooth-colored filling, which is normal after you get any type of filling, it’s short-lived and resolves quickly.
Silver fillings can wear down and make your tooth vulnerable to decay, but no such problems exist with composite fillings, which are harder.
Composite fillings are great solutions for both smaller flaws and more significant damage to a tooth.
Many people have had silver fillings removed due to concerns about mercury exposure, but according to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), patients shouldn’t do this unless decay is found underneath the filling or the filling is in bad condition.
Certain groups should also avoid silver fillings because of risks associated with them, including pregnant women or those who are planning to become pregnant, nursing mothers, children (particularly under age 6), individuals with kidney dysfunction or neurological impairment, or anyone with an allergy to mercury.
A composite filling generally lasts about seven years, but can last up to a decade or even longer if you keep on top of your oral hygiene or if you have a smaller filling.
You’re likely to be sold on tooth-colored fillings by now, since they offer many practical and cosmetic benefits. The filling procedure is simple and brief, so you can start enjoying your flawless smile the minute you leave our office.
To learn more about tooth-colored fillings and all they offer, call our Folsom office at 916-983-6767 to schedule an appointment or feel free to book one online.
