Tooth-Colored Fillings

Repair Cavities While Blending In

For decades, fillings have been the go-to treatment for cavity treatment and slightly damaged teeth. Traditionally, they were made using a material called amalgam, which consists of multiple metals mixed together. While this material is extremely strong and durable, it does have a few noticeable drawbacks (which you’re probably very familiar with if you have fillings).

Firstly, it leaves a large, noticeable gray mark on any tooth it’s used on, and two, the metal can make a tooth very sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. These fillings can even expand and contract depending on the temperature, which can make a tooth much more likely to crack as time goes on.

In order to provide our patients with a more aesthetically-focused and comfortable solution, Dr. Colleen chooses to only use tooth-colored fillings. How do they compare to regular fillings? Read on to find out!

Tooth-Colored Fillings vs. Amalgam Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings offer a number of advantages compared to traditional ones:

• Natural Appearance: Tooth-colored fillings are actually made of a composite resin that can be specially shaded to completely blend in with surrounding enamel, making the filling itself practically invisible.
• Metal-Free: Composite resin is a plastic and glass particle mixture, which means it doesn’t respond to the temperature. So, it won’t make a tooth more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures, and it also won’t change shape in a way that can compromise a tooth’s structure. This helps a filling both feel better and last longer.
• More Conservative: Quite a bit of a tooth has to be removed in order to place an amalgam filling because the material doesn’t actually bond to the enamel. Composite resin, on the other hand, does, which means we can preserve more of a tooth’s natural strength and structure while restoring it, which will make it last much longer as a result.

Thanks to tooth-colored fillings, we can now fix problem teeth without altering the appearance of the smile, giving patients the best of everything. To learn more about tooth-colored fillings and how one could help you, contact us today.