The best dental treatments are the ones you can’t see, and when you have a cavity, that means choosing a tooth-colored filling to treat it. Compared to older, more traditional metal fillings, the tooth-colored variety offer a number of different advantages, from the way they look to how well they protect your teeth from further tooth decay. In fact, the most important benefits of tooth-colored fillings is the fact that they’re the most lifelike and biocompatible option for restoring a tooth that’s been infected by progressive tooth decay.
They don’t stand out among your teeth.
As their name implies, tooth-colored fillings are custom-designed and tinted to match the unique color and shade of your healthy tooth structure. Unlike metal, the fillings won’t stand out and shine, drawing attention to your dental treatment.
They’re better than metal at protecting teeth.
Metal amalgam is a strong and durable material that can withstand intense bite pressure, which is what has made them popular for over a hundred years. However, when a cavity forms in your tooth, the exposed tooth structure becomes highly vulnerable to harmful oral bacteria. Tooth-colored fillings, which are made from biocompatible acrylic resin, can be bonded more securely to your tooth than metal, creating a stronger seal to protect the exposed structure from oral bacteria.
They don’t cause harm to your tooth structure.
Another drawback to metal fillings is that metal can expand and contract in hot and cold temperatures, respectively, making them a potential threat to your inflexible tooth structure. An expanded metal filling can place undue pressure on your tooth and damage it; a contracted filling can leave your tooth’s cavity open to harmful bacteria. By contrast, resin fillings retain their shape in all temperatures, making them harmless to your natural, healthy tooth structure.
Can You Benefit from a Tooth-Colored Filling?
If you have a cavity, or if you want to update an old metal filling, then find out if you can benefit from a more appropriate tooth-colored one! To find out if you can benefit from a tooth-colored filling, call Robert M. Browne, DDS, in Prairie Village, KS today at (913) 901-8585.
