Many
patients are asking our dentists about white fillings because they
want their teeth to have a more pleasing, natural looking smile. White
fillings, which are made from tooth colored materials, blend well with
the natural color of your teeth. They don’t look like metallic fillings.
Composite
Fillings
 One
type of material used for white fillings is a composite resin. Composite
resins are mixtures of plastic and glass, which are blended to match
the natural color of your teeth. Composites can be used to restore
decayed areas, to replace previous restorations, and also for cosmetic
improvements of the smile (see bonding page). Since they blend well
to natural tooth enamel, our dentists may recommend composites if the
teeth needing restorations are near the front of the mouth.
Composite
fillings can usually be placed in one office visit. The tooth is first
prepared by removing the decay. The dentist may place a band around
the tooth and the area is isolated from saliva during the restoration.
An adhesive is placed in the tooth followed by thin layers of composite
resin, using a special light to harden each layer. The final layer
is shaped to the natural contours of the tooth, and then polished.
The
main advantage to composite fillings is the similar appearance to natural
teeth. Another advantage is that they require the removal of less of
the healthy part of the tooth to hold the filling in place. The composite
material bonds to the tooth to support the remaining tooth structure.
One
disadvantage to composite fillings is that they tend to wear faster
than silver fillings when placed on the chewing surfaces or in larger
cavities, although in smaller cavities they hold up as well as silver
fillings. The composite filling can stain or discolor slightly over
time. If you prefer, our dentists can place a clear plastic coating
over the composite material, to protect the color. The fee for composite
fillings is higher than the fee for a silver filling and the price
difference is not always covered by insurance companies.
Porcelain
Inlays and Onlays
Another
type of material used for tooth-colored fillings is porcelain inlays
and onlays. Inlays and onlays are used to restore teeth that are badly
damaged by decay or wear. They may be used on the chewing surfaces
of the back teeth when tooth colored fillings are desired.
Inlays
and onlays require two or more visits to your dentist to complete,
for diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation and bonding. On the
first visit the dentist will remove the decay and take an impression
of the teeth. The porcelain material is made by a dental lab, and then
bonded to your teeth in a subsequent visit.
Since
the placement of porcelain materials require two visits and outside
lab services, porcelain inlays and onlays are more expensive than other
filling materials, but porcelain is highly resistant to wear. Porcelain
can be brittle, and may fracture under heavy biting loads, if the restoration
is too thin. Often more of the tooth will have to be removed than for
composite fillings.
White
fillings, like other restoration materials, may require periodic replacement.
Tooth decay may develop around the filling or on another location on
the tooth. Regular dental checkups are important, because they allow
our dentists to detect any problems early.
Contact
our office to arrange a consultation on how you can improve your smile
or to setup your regular dental checkup.
For
more information on tooth-colored fillings follow these links:
American
Dental Association:
Dental Filling Choices
Academy
of General Dentistry
|
