If you haven’t already developed tooth decay and needed a filling to treat a cavity, then there’s a chance that you might at some point in your life. In fact, a large majority of people will, up to 90%, and in many cases, a tooth filling is the best way to deal with it. Specifically, a tooth-colored filling, which, unlike its more traditional metal counterparts, can offer a number of important benefits when it comes to restoring and preserving your natural tooth structure. Today, we look at just a few of those benefits, and why they’re important enough to consider making any filling you ever need a tooth-colored one.
It won’t have any metal in it
The most prominent benefit of tooth-colored fillings is the fact that they don’t contain any metal at all, unlike older filling options. Metal fillings may be strong, but they can pose several challenges for restoring your teeth. For example, if you have any kind of metal allergy, you may not qualify for one. Also, certain physical properties of metal can make them hazardous to your tooth structure under certain conditions, such as metal’s propensity for expanding and contracting in heat and cold (respectively). Tooth-colored fillings are made from a composite resin that includes finely ground acrylic and quartz-like particles, with no traces of metal whatsoever.
It can closely mimic the teeth around it
The materials used to create tooth-colored composite resin are more biocompatible for their lack of metal, and they’re also more customizable because of it. You can’t customize metal to make it look like natural tooth structure. However, composite resin can be custom-tinted to match the unique color and shade of the tooth structure surrounding it. This means your tooth filling will not only be safer to your oral and overall health, but also blend in discreetly with your tooth to make it more compatible with your smile’s appearance.
It will reduce your risks of needing treatment again
Once your dentist bonds tooth-colored resin to your tooth structure, the bond creates a tight, highly durable seal. This ensures that the filling will stay in place throughout the years, and also that no oral bacteria can slip past it and reach the exposed tooth structure underneath it, within your cavity. If this occurs, the infection will cause more severe problems for your tooth, and restoring it could require more extensive treatment, like root canal therapy.
Learn about the value of tooth-colored fillings
With a tooth-colored filling, you can treat your cavity effectively, restore your tooth, and maintain your smile’s healthy appearance, all at once! To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Creekside Family Dental Care in Columbia, TN, today at (931) 388–3384.