Tooth Fillings

Composite (White) Fillings or Tooth Colored Fillings

Composite fillings are an attractive alternative to dark amalgam fillings.  They are esthetically pleasing and require very little removal of tooth structure. The composite material “flows” into the area to be filled creating a seamless, natural restoration. The composite then can be shaped and polished to look exactly like the tooth.  Many times if the restoration is small, little or no anesthetic is used.

Advantages of tooth colored fillings over amalgam fillings:

• Research shows that they are healthier to the body than the original amalgam fillings.
• They can preserve more natural tooth structure and be made much smaller.
• There is less thermal expansion (hot and cold) and they create fewer crack lines over a period of time than do amalgam fillings.

Replacing Amalgam (Silver) Fillings with White Fillings

Changing a silver filling to a white filling is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to restore the natural look of your tooth.  Silver fillings tend to wear or "tarnish" over time creating an unsightly gray look to the tooth.  A white filling can be just as strong and is shaped and polished to improve the appearance of the tooth.

The procedure:   First the old silver amalgam is removed from the tooth. Then an area of retention is created so the composite material will have something to adhere to. The area is then etched, desensitized and the material is then bonded on layer by layer. The bite is adjusted and made sure that it is smooth to the tongue.