The Benefits of Tooth-Coloured Composite Fillings

There’s “old school,” and then there’s were-there-even-schools-back-then old school. Every dentist in Yellowknife has traditionally filled patients’ cavities with amalgam or “silver” fillings. Amalgam fillings are called that because they’re made out of an amalgam (a combination) of metals including mercury, tin, copper and — appropriately — a small amount of silver. Just how traditional are those “traditional” silver fillings? History tells us that some version of an amalgam filling has been used for over 1,300 years.

The disadvantages of silver fillings

Silver fillings have been used for a long time because they have certain advantages. Silver fillings are generally strong, resilient, easily prepared and easily placed in a cavity to protect you from advancing tooth decay. Despite those obvious and long-respected strengths, though, silver fillings have significant disadvantages too. They include: 

  • Silver fillings contain a small amount of mercury which some people feel is unsafe due to presenting potential health hazards. While the risk of mercury presented by silver fillings is a subject of some debate, any option that contains no mercury renders the issue moot.
  • If subtlety and discretion are a priority, silver fillings are a problem. They are glaringly obvious in your mouth, especially if used to fill cavities in your “smile zone.”
  • Silver or amalgam fillings can cause stains on your teeth around the area of the filling. Removing those stains is difficult without removing the filling before trying to get rid of them.
  • Because the metal used to make amalgam fillings expands and contracts over time and depending on temperature, those fillings can cause small cracks in your teeth. 

If only there was an option for filling cavities without having to deal with these downsides of silver amalgam fillings. Well, we have good news. There is just such an option — composite fillings in Yellowknife.

The advantages of composite fillings 

Composite fillings don’t use any metals to fill cavities in a tooth that has been damaged by tooth decay. Instead, composite fillings use a material made from powdered glass and plastic resins to form a putty that is applied in the cavity in layers to replace lost tooth material. Dentists provide composite fillings near you because they have several advantages compared to traditional amalgam fillings. Those advantages include: 

  • The material used to produce a composite filling is coloured to match your teeth. With composite fillings, you don’t need to be concerned about fillings standing out and being glaringly obvious to observers. Composite fillings blend naturally with the colour of your other healthy teeth. 
  • Placing a composite filling requires less drilling than required to place an amalgam filling. Less of your own tooth matter will need to be removed. To put it another way, composite fillings allow the preservation of more of your own tooth tissue. 
  • The resin compounds used to create a composite fillings harden in seconds
  • The resin compounds bond to your own natural tooth tissue. That bonding lends strength to the tooth being filled to help prevent damage to it.
  • If a composite filling is damaged, it can be repaired.
  • In most cases, composite fillings can be provided in a single appointment (though large fillings may take a longer time or a second appointment because of the way the resins are applied in layers that need to harden). 
  • Unlike metal fillings, composite fillings do not expand and contract so the tooth is not exposed to the risk of cracks and breaking.

Getting tooth-coloured composite near you is not your only option if you’d prefer not to have silver or amalgam fillings. Gold and porcelain fillings are two other options. Composite fillings from a dentist near you are more durable than porcelain options and much less expensive than gold fillings. The biggest advantage of composite fillings, though? They’re tooth coloured, subtle and discreet. We hope you never get another cavity or need a filling replaced. But if you do, ask your dentist to confirm the availability of tooth-coloured fillings. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will Gums Grow Back after a Laser Gum Contouring Surgery?

Image
Are you insecure about the appearance of your gummy smile? You might be a great candidate for a gum contouring procedure. Lucky for you, there is laser dentistry in Yellowknife , called Somba Ke Family Dental. They offer the best quality of care and skill during your laser gum contouring surgery.  Will your gums grow back after your contouring surgery? No, because the bone underneath the gums often must be shaved down to reach the desired results, your gums will not grow back.  Read on to learn about the positives of laser contouring surgery, the surgery procedure process, surgery aftercare instructions, dental insurance coverage, average procedure pricing, and final remarks about treatment!  Pros to Laser Contouring Surgery Laser contouring surgery offers; a minimally invasive treatment plan, a majorly painless process, reduces the need for stitches, faster treatment and healing process, less bleeding and swelling, and a lower risk for widespread infection. If you’re int...
Read more

Clean Teeth vs. White Teeth

Image
  Comparing teeth whitening and teeth cleaning is a lot like comparing apples and orangutans. Teeth whitening isn’t better or worse than teeth cleaning. They’re entirely different processes performed for very different reasons with very different implications if skipped. Here’s what you need to understand about teeth cleaning and teeth whitening in Yellowknife . Teeth cleanings Teeth cleanings are essential to your dental health. Having your teeth cleaned regularly at a dental clinic near you is essential to maintaining the health of your teeth, gums and mouth. Skipping teeth cleanings puts your oral health at risk. The goal of teeth cleanings is to remove plaque and tartar from all the surfaces of your teeth and from along the line of your gums. Even if you brush your teeth effectively twice a day and floss your teeth and gums daily, the plaque has a tendency to linger and harden into tartar in hard-to-reach surfaces, nooks and crannies of your teeth. The combined effects o...
Read more

How to Handle Dental Emergencies?

Image
  Many people think an emergency will not occur to them until it does. Due to this reason, our emergency dentist in Yellowknife will give you recommendations to follow. What is a Dental Emergency? A dental emergency is a situation that endangers your oral health.These situations occur when you least expect them, and most people do not know what to do. You may keep reading for the best tips until you visit an emergency dentist near you .  What are the Most Common Dental Emergencies? The first is to acknowledge when you face an emergency and when it can wait. The following are the most common dental emergencies: 1. Dental Pain A healthy tooth should not hurt. A toothache may derive from many causes - cavities, food packaging, periodontal disease, or interference when biting. If the pain comes from food packaging, rinsing and flossing will alleviate the toothache. Contact a dentist right away because this situation is very painful, but the rinsing is a temporary solution. If you...
Read more