For decades, when a person had a cavity, the standard solution was an amalgam filling, often called a “silver filling.” While durable, these fillings are a metallic, dark gray color that is highly visible, especially when you laugh or smile. Today, modern dentistry offers a much more aesthetic and often healthier alternative: composite white fillings. Composite fillings are made from a tooth-colored resin material that can be perfectly matched to the shade of your natural teeth, making them a beautiful and durable solution for restoring teeth that have been damaged by decay.
What are Composite Fillings?
A composite filling is made from a mixture of a tooth-colored plastic (resin) and microscopic glass particles. This putty-like material is placed into the cavity in layers and is hardened, or cured, using a special high-intensity blue light. The dentist then shapes and polishes the hardened material to match the natural contours of your tooth, creating a restoration that is strong, durable, and virtually invisible.
The Aesthetic Advantage: A Natural Look
The most obvious and popular benefit of a composite filling is its appearance.
- Color Matching: The composite resin is available in a wide variety of shades, allowing your dentist to select the one that perfectly matches the color of your natural tooth enamel.
- An Invisible Repair: Once the filling is placed and polished, it blends in seamlessly with the rest of your tooth. The restoration is practically invisible, which is a major advantage, especially for fillings in your front teeth or other visible areas of your smile. This allows you to laugh and smile with confidence, without the distraction of a dark, metallic filling.
A More Conservative and Healthier Option
Beyond just looking better, composite fillings offer several important health and structural advantages over old-fashioned amalgam fillings.
- Preserves More of Your Natural Tooth: To place a silver amalgam filling, a dentist often has to remove some healthy tooth structure to create an “undercut” that will hold the metallic filling in place. A composite filling, on the other hand, is chemically bonded directly to the tooth surface. This means that the dentist only needs to remove the decayed portion of the tooth, which allows them to preserve more of your healthy, natural tooth structure.
- Mercury-Free: Silver amalgam fillings are composed of about 50% mercury, a heavy metal that is a known neurotoxin. While the American Dental Association (ADA) considers amalgam to be a safe and effective filling material, many patients are understandably concerned about having a mercury-containing material in their mouths and prefer a mercury-free alternative. Composite fillings contain no metal and no mercury.
- Less Temperature Sensitivity: The metal in an amalgam filling can conduct hot and cold temperatures, which can sometimes lead to tooth sensitivity. The composite resin material does not conduct temperature in the same way, often resulting in less post-treatment sensitivity.
The Durability of Modern Composites
In the past, composite materials were not as strong as amalgam. However, modern dental composites are incredibly advanced and are very strong and durable. With proper care and good oral hygiene, a composite filling can last for many years, providing a beautiful and reliable restoration for your tooth.
Your Redlands Dentist for Composite White Fillings
When you have a cavity, you deserve a restoration that is not only strong but also beautiful and natural-looking. For patients in the Redlands, CA area, Dr. Tuan Pham is proud to offer state-of-the-art, tooth-colored composite white fillings. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with Tuan Pham DDS.
