Hello to all again.
In this blog by Hartwell Dentistry we will be discussing tooth coloured fillings.
Tooth coloured fillings are the most common small to medium simple fillings and fissure sealants placed at Hartwell Dentistry.
Advantages of tooth coloured fillings
- The composite resin filling material contains acrylic and glass particles, no mercury. As it has no mercury, it does not shrink and expand on temperature changes as amalgam filling material.
- The tooth coloured filling material looks like natural tooth.
- This type of filling material is already hard when you leave the dental office, therefore, you can chew on it whenever you like.
- Less tooth structure is lost because the dentists at Hartwell Dentistry can make smaller preparation thus preserving the strength of the tooth.
- The resin and bond used provides an insulating effect on the tooth, thus protecting the nerve from sensitivity. This reduces the risk for root canal therapy.
- These resins work best in small to medium cavities and fissure.
- Has the same wear coefficient as tooth, ( it wears at a similar rate as natural tooth)
Disadvantages of tooth coloured fillings
- The tooth coloured filling material is more expensive.
- This type of filling usually takes the dentist a little longer to do and requires technical expertise.
- Composite fillings can stain over a period of time depending on factors such as tea, coffee and smoking.
- These fillings, like most others, do not get whiter if you want to whiten your teeth.
Overall , they have a great advantage over the old metal mercury fillings. Tooth coloured fillings are a common and predictable procedure ensuring patient comfort and a healthy tooth.
In our next blog we will be discussing Ceramic Cerec restorations which are the hardest and most natural looking material technology offers us today. These are used for crowns, veneers and large fillings and can be provided in 1 visit using CAD-CAM technology