Tooth Colored Fillings

You may take the best possible care of your oral health and still develop a cavity. Tooth-colored fillings are a wonderful solution and are the most common treatment performed to repair teeth damaged by decay. This treatment approach bonds the tooth-colored resin or porcelain to the damaged area, which supports repair with minimal tooth reduction. When a cavity is very small and limited to the most superficial layers of enamel, it's possible to place a tooth-colored filling without any anesthetic. If your cavity is more substantial, Dr. Paez will numb the area around the tooth with a minor injection of Lidocaine. This will keep you comfortable for the duration of your filling procedure.

The process of placing a tooth-colored filing is straightforward. Just one appointment is needed to complete it. After discussing your options (composite resin or porcelain), Dr. Paez selects a shade for your filling material that will match your natural enamel so well that the filling blends right in. Depending on the severity of your cavity, he'll administer numbing medication, which works almost immediately to blunt sensation around the tooth. This makes the next step in the process, removing the damaged tooth material, painless. After thoroughly cleaning the tooth, he applies a bonding agent. This solution has mild acidic properties that "etch" the tooth so the resin or porcelain can adhere to it. The filling material is placed into the cavity and is shaped to mimic your natural tooth. When the right shape is achieved, the filling is cured with light. Dr. Paez will carefully evaluate the filling to make sure it fits against the opposing tooth as it should. If needed, he can make adjustments. To conclude your treatment, we'll polish the tooth to bring out its natural sheen.

Silver fillings, referred to as amalgam fillings, have been widely used for over a century. At the time that dental amalgam was developed, it was the most efficient and cost-effective option, an alternative to the gold fillings that were previously used. While silver fillings remain a low-cost type of restoration, and they can last 10 to 15 years, there are many reasons we do not use dental amalgam.

On average, a tooth-colored filling can last seven years. Some can last longer. Conversely, a tooth-colored filling may need to be replaced sooner than seven years depending on factors like bruxism (clenching and grinding) or chewing on hard objects or foods.

Even with a seemingly shorter lifespan, tooth-colored fillings are largely deemed more advantageous than silver fillings. Beyond the cosmetic appeal of a natural-looking dental filling, tooth-colored fillings are also placed differently than amalgams. Those long-lasting silver fillings require a dentist to alter more tooth structure than is needed for decay removal. This is because the silver filling isn't bonded to the tooth, it's retained structurally by shaping the inner area where the cavity was. Because tooth-colored fillings are bonded to the tooth, the dentist only needs to remove material that has been damaged by decay. With more of the structure intact, the tooth-colored filling can restore more of the tooth's natural strength.