White Fillings

Filings are now less evasive and more aesthetic, thanks to composite “tooth-colored” filings.

You have many choices when it comes to restoring damaged or decayed teeth, even down to the type of dental filling material to use. You may choose to have white “tooth-colored” fillings (composite or porcelain) or silver amalgam restorations.

Furthermore, many people decide to replace their older silver amalgam fillings with newer white “tooth-colored” composite fillings. There are a number of pros and cons associated with both composite and amalgam fillings.

Dental Filling Choices: Amalgam and Composite

Safety and Appearance: In addition to having a more pleasing and natural tooth-like appearance, composite fillings have the potential advantage of not containing mercury or other metals that may contribute to sensitivity or toxicity. Mercury toxicity from amalgam fillings is a controversial subject, though no research to date has been able to show any risks of having mercury as a component of amalgam dental fillings. However, many patients do have metal sensitivities and some have reported a metal taste after the placement of amalgam fillings.

Durability: Composite fillings previously were not as durable as amalgams. However, dental manufacturers have made great strides in improving the strength of composite resin materials, to the effect that composite fillings now have the potential to be used for all teeth, including molars. Furthermore, composite materials often require less tooth preparation and may not weaken the affected tooth as much as amalgam fillings, which often require more extensive tooth preparation.

Tooth Shaping: Composite and amalgam fillings require preparation of the affected tooth, but less preparation is usually required for a composite filling. Typically, this means that less healthy tooth structure has to be removed when placing a composite.

Technique and Time: More than amalgam fillings, the success of composite fillings depends on your dentist’s technique. Composite filling restoration also requires the use of additional equipment, and the procedure itself requires up to 50% more time than the amalgam filling procedure. Dr. Javaheri specializes in composite filings.