The Benefits of Tooth-colored Composite Dental Fillings
Tooth decay is a very common dental problem that is likely to be experienced to some degree by the majority of our dental patients. We offer a range of restorative dentistry treatments to reverse the damage of tooth decay and restore strength and function to the smile. While a few patients will experience significant oral damage due to tooth decay, the most common problem that develops is a dental cavity. Although a dental cavity does put the teeth at risk for more serious dental complications, this condition can be easily remedied with a simple dental filling. While many people think of dental fillings as unattractive metal restorations, today’s patients benefit from a more attractive and practical dental treatment. We offer our Forney patients tooth-colored fillings with numerous benefits in terms of both aesthetics and function.
Why Tooth-colored Fillings?
At Forney Family Dentistry, we encourage patients to treat dental cavities with tooth-colored fillings, especially if the tooth that requires treatment sits toward the front of the smile. The preference of tooth-colored fillings may seem obvious. As the name suggests, these fillings blend in with the natural teeth because they are composed of a composite material that is matched to each patient’s unique tooth color. This creates a far superior appearance as compared to gray, metal fillings. However, most patients do not realize that there are many other reasons that make tooth-colored fillings stand out above metal fillings. Below are some additional benefits of tooth-colored fillings:
- Tooth preservation: With any restorative treatment, we prefer conservative methods that will allow for maximum preservation of the natural tooth. A tooth-colored filling is ideal in this sense because it requires the removal of less tooth structure than a metal filling does, as a metal filling needs room to expand and contract when exposed to temperature changes.
- Improved strength: A metal filling sits in the tooth to fill in structure that has been lost to decay. While this is helpful, a tooth-colored filling is even more beneficial because it actually bonds with the tooth, making it stronger.
- Won’t damage the teeth: As mentioned above, metal fillings expand and contract when exposed to temperature changes. This can put pressure on the teeth and may cause a crack or other damage. This could also cause the filling to fall out. Tooth-colored fillings are immune to temperature changes, do not expand and contract, and will not damage the teeth.
- Mercury-free: Another concern for many patients is the presence of mercury in metal amalgam fillings. While the amount is minimal and has not been proven to cause harm, many patients prefer tooth-colored fillings because they are free of mercury and all other toxins.
While the aesthetic benefits of tooth-colored fillings are great, these functional advantages make tooth-colored fillings a clear choice for most patients and are an excellent option for either treating new dental cavities or for replacing old metal fillings.
Contact Us
At Forney Family Dentistry, we offer restorative and cosmetic dental treatments that help to ensure that our patients have smiles that are both healthy and beautiful. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of tooth-colored fillings or have any questions regarding our other dental services, please contact us at your earliest convenience. We look forward to hearing from you!
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