What Are Composite Fillings?
A modern advance in dental technology has developed a far superior plan for filling cavities. Composite fillings use a mixture of glass and tooth-colored plastic to restore decayed teeth to a healthy condition.
How Is A Composite Filling Placed?
The process is quite similar to traditional silver fillings. After numbing the tooth for the comfort of the patient, the composite is applied in layers. A special light is used which hardens the material after the application of each layer. After applying the layers, the composite filling is molded to fit the tooth. The dentist then polishes the filling to eliminate stains and early wear.
Advances in Bonding Technology
For many years, the standard option for restoring damaged teeth and filling cavities was silver fillings. The main problem was that these silver fillings were well known for cracking. Advanced technology produced a product that was definitely superior to these silver fillings. These new fillings can bond with your natural teeth far better than they ever could before. This also made cracked fillings far simpler to repair.
Weakness In Silver Fillings
Researchers noticed several weaknesses in silver fillings.
- As the temperature regularly contracts and expands the silver fillings, they have a strong tendency to crack.
- Silver fillings seem to wear down around the edges, which also leads to weakness and breaking.
- When the silver breaks, the tooth is exposed to more bacteria and additional cavities.
- Since silver fillings contain as much as 50% mercury, your teeth and gums will get stained if the filling corrodes and leaks.
Advantages In Composite Fillings
- Composite fillings look far more natural and are able to be matched to the color of the patient’s remaining original teeth.
- Composite fillings are stronger and longer lasting.
- If you have been treated with silver fillings in the past, your dentist can avoid potential dental problems by replacing the silver fillings with composite fillings.
