Treating cavities, a decayed portion of your tooth is a routine dental care procedure. If you are receiving cavity fillings, our dentist initially cleans the affected tooth leaving a hollow space in it. After cleaning and disinfecting the tooth, our dentist in Spring, TX will fill the empty space to even out the tooth’s surface to ensure it feels right in the mouth and receives protection from additional decay.
There are five materials of dental fillings offered to fill spaces after removing a cavity. However, you may not always be able to determine which type of filling you need. Therefore, knowing the benefits and disadvantages of filling materials is helpful before getting your teeth filled.
The five types of tooth fillings available from dentists are silver amalgam, composite resin, ceramic, glass ionomer, and gold fillings. Please continue to learn more about the benefits and downsides of all fillers:
Silver amalgam fillings are widely known as a popular choice for filling teeth among dentists because of their strength, durability, and affordability. They aren’t merely silver but a mixture of minerals with 50 percent silver, tin, zinc, copper, and 50 percent mercury.
Silver fillings last for over a decade and are relatively easy to place for dentists in a cavity. No concerns of silver fillings becoming contaminated by blood or saliva are also available.
Unfortunately, they have downsides because they are not aesthetically pleasing and aren’t suitable for noticeable teeth. In addition, the material also expands and contracts over time resulting in tooth cracks. The fluctuations also create spaces between the fillers and the tooth to attract food particles and bacteria and permit the formation of new cavities.
In addition, the FDA released a recommendation on September 24, 2020, against filling teeth with Mercury fillers in high-risk people, especially pregnant women or women planning pregnancy, nursing women, children under six, and people with pre-existing neurological diseases, impaired kidney function is or Mercury allergies. Instead, the FDA recommends such people receive alternatives such as composite fillers or glass ionomer fillings. Removing existing silver fillings from the teeth was not recommended because it would increase the mercury exposure risk.
Resin and plastic materials help make composite resin fillers placed into the cavity before hardening with ultraviolet light. Composite filters are popular because they are matched in the color or shade of the existing tooth to make it resemble the natural tooth. Unfortunately, composite fillers are not as durable as other varieties and require replacements every five to ten years. In addition, they are more expensive than silver amalgam fillers.
Porcelain is used to make ceramic fillers that are durable and aesthetically pleasing. Ceramic filters are more expensive than other varieties. However, they are tooth-colored and resistant to staining and abrasion than composite resin fillings.
The downside of using ceramic fillers instead of composite is their brittle nature and needing a larger area to cover to prevent the filler from breaking. It indicates that additional tooth structure removal is necessary to make space for the extra bulk. Ceramic filters are generally referred to as inlays and Onlays.
Glass ionomer fillers are suitable for children with developing teeth. The fillers help protect a tooth by releasing fluoride to prevent further decay. Unfortunately, they merely last for a handful of years because of their weaker nature than composite resin, making them more likely to crack or wear off. In addition, these fillers do not match the tooth color as accurately as composite resin.
It would help if you didn’t express surprise when informed gold fillers are expensive and not widespread. In fact, very few dentists offer gold fillers as a solution to fill teeth. Gold fillers require multiple visits to dentist’s offices for placement of the filling appropriately. However, gold fillings are durable, don’t corrode, and last for more than two decades.
Now that you know the different dental filling materials available when getting tooth fillings near you, don’t you think the benefits of the downsides of the materials will help you choose correctly without making an error that might impact your budget and your aesthetic appearance? If you think we provide proper advice, you must discuss the filler you want after considering the location of the cavity, the severity of the damage, your budget, insurance coverage, and your dentist’s advice before choosing any specific type of filling material for your tooth.
We at Spring Creek Forest Dental provide dental fillings in Spring, TX 77379 for decayed with filling materials best suited for the tooth and your aesthetic appearance. Discuss the filling material with us during your appointment to restore your tooth by removing decayed material from it and receiving suitable filling materials to achieve your goal. Call us or book an appointment for cavity fillings in Spring, TX!