What is a Tooth Filling?
When a cavity develops in a tooth, the decay can continue to spread and disintegrate the remaining healthy portion of the tooth. If it is not attended to, it can spread to adjacent teeth and cause infection below the gumline.
Your dentist near Woodland Hills will resolve this problem by first removing the decay and then replacing the missing material with a dental filling. The filling will consist of an approved dental filling material, and when cared for properly, should last for many years.
Amalgam Fillings
In the recent past, amalgam dental fillings were commonly used for most applications. Although they did not create undetectable repairs to teeth, they provided superb strength and were skillfully packed, shaped, and polished to resemble the tooth’s natural structure. However, because they are made from various metals combined through a process that uses liquid mercury, there has been a good deal of controversy surrounding the safety of these fillings in recent years. Some experts believe that the use of amalgam fillings is related to a higher risk of mercury poisoning.
White Fillings
Nowadays, white, composite resin fillings have replaced amalgam fillings in popularity. In fact, many patients are requesting to have their old amalgam fillings replaced with white fillings. Aside from being safer because they are metal-free and mercury-free, white fillings offer other advantages. For one thing, white fillings don’t get hot, eliminating the risk of having a heat-sensitive filling.
Aesthetic Advantages
The most noticeable advantages of using white fillings is that they are tooth-colored, and therefore, more aesthetically appealing. These composite resin fillings can even be matched to the color of your tooth so that they are virtually undetectable. Although amalgam fillings are actually silver, they can sometimes appear black and look dirty. These fillings also tend to stain and corrode the teeth and gums adjacent to the filling.
Because white fillings can be color-matched by our dentist near Woodland Hills, they are also an exceptional choice for cosmetic dental work. They are a perfect solution for dental bonding work on the anterior teeth.
Other Benefits
Silver amalgam fillings require a specific preparation, which means more tooth material must be removed than with composite fillings. This is because this newer filling material relies on bonding, allowing more of the healthy tooth surface to be preserved.
Additionally, white filling restorations tend to be easier to complete. This filling material is not as “technique sensitive,” meaning your dental repair will take less time to finish, compared to restorations using amalgam fillings. In this way, the whole process is less demanding on the patient and the dentist.
Contact Our Dentist Near Woodland Hills
If you are suffering from a cavity, or you have amalgam fillings you would like to replace with more attractive, safer, and healthier composite fillings, call and book your appointment at West Valley Dental today. You’ll be glad you did!
