Nice Happy Smiles at Maycroft Dental Practice, Moreton, Wirral

Fillings

Dental decay happens when the enamel and dentine of a tooth becomes softened by acid attack, producing a cavity (hole). If the decay is not too serious, the dentist will remove all the decay and restore the tooth with a filling. Fillings are restorations of the tooth; the restoration can be a white or silver filling.

Composite vs Aesthetic

Advantages of silver fillings (Amalgams):

Durability - silver fillings last at least 10 to 15 years and usually outlasts composite (tooth-colored) fillings.

Strength - can withstand chewing forces

Expense - is less expensive than composite fillings

Disadvantages of silver fillings:

Poor aesthetics - silver fillings don't match the color of natural teeth.

Destruction of more tooth structure - healthy parts of the tooth must often be removed to make a space large enough to hold the amalgam filling.

Discoloration - amalgam fillings can create a grayish hue to the surrounding tooth structure.

Cracks and fractures - although all teeth expand and contract in the presence of hot and cold liquids, which ultimately can cause the tooth to crack or fracture, amalgam material -- in comparison with other filling materials - may experience a wider degree of expansion and contraction and lead to a higher incidence of cracks and fractures.

Allergic reactions - a small percentage of people, approximately 1%, are allergic to the mercury present in amalgam restorations.

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Advantages of composites:

Aesthetics -- the shade/color of the composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth. Composites are particularly well suited for use in front teeth or visible parts of teeth.

Tooth-sparing preparation -- sometimes less tooth structure needs to be removed compared with amalgam fillings when removing decay and preparing for the filling.

Versatility -- in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken, or worn teeth.

Bonding to tooth structure -- composite fillings actually chemically bond to tooth structure, providing further support.

Disadvantages of composites:

Increased chair time -- because of the process to apply the composite material, these fillings can take up to 20 minutes longer than amalgam fillings to place.

Lack of durability -- composite fillings wear out sooner than amalgam fillings (lasting at least five years compared with at least 10 to 15 for amalgams); in addition, they may not last as long as amalgam fillings under the pressure of chewing and particularly if used for large cavities.

Chipping -- depending on location, composite materials can chip off the tooth.

Expense -- composite fillings can cost up to twice the cost of amalgam fillings.

Additional visits -- if composites are used for inlays or onlays, more than one office visit may be required.

In addition to tooth-colored, composite resin fillings, two other tooth-colored fillings exist -- ceramics and glass ionomer.

In recent years it has been more common for the patient to ask for white fillings. The material Composite is a stronger more durable natural coloured filling material, which is becoming a more viable treatment option for restorations. White filling material can be placed in any tooth, the only dictating factor being the size of the filling. The advantages of choosing a white filling material opposed to a silver filling are:

Our dentist is able to replace your filling with a match that is natural to your shade of tooth, so the filling is almost invisible. If you are interested in having white fillings please this discuss this with are dental team as there are different options available.

Fillings

Composite vs Aesthetic

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