Fillings
Fillings are the most common dental procedure that is performed in the dental office. When you have a cavity or decay, your dentist removes the decay with a drill and replaces the subsequent cavity with a filling. Fillings are of two types: tooth colored filling or composite and silver fillings or amalgam.
White Fillings
- The resin based filling is bonded to your tooth, to replace missing or damaged surfaces. Resin based fillings have micro-mechanical properties that are ideal for smaller restorations. Composite resins can also achieve optimal aesthetics, making them the ideal choice for anterior teeth.
The advantages of tooth colored fillings are:
- The tooth structure nor the gums stain
- They seal the tooth really well
- They do not crack the tooth
- They look just like your natural tooth
The disadvantages of tooth colored fillings are:
- More technique sensitive
- Relatively more expensive
- Some insurance companies deny coverage
Amalgam Fillings
- Amalgam fillings or “silver fillings” consists of silver and mercury. Amalgam fillings are known to last longer than composite fillings, but are used less frequently due to poor aesthetics.
The advantages of amalgam fillings are:
- They are less expensive
- Less technique sensitivity when restoring a tooth
The disadvantages of amalgam fillings are:
- Does not match your natural teeth color
- Over time these cause cracks in your teeth by expanding
- They are ugly looking and dark in color and
- It consists of mercury raising a potential mercury toxicity concern