Composite Tooth Colored Dental Fillings
Composite dental fillings are made of a very strong resin material and come in a whole spectrum of shades to match every possible shade of natural teeth from light to dark. The advantage of tooth-colored fillings is not just cosmetic. Most people prefer to have a filling that blends in with all of the other teeth versus having an amalgam or “silver” filling. The main advantage is that the composite material chemically bonds to the tooth structure, which allows us to only remove the very extent of the cavity versus the technique used for an amalgam or “silver” filling.
Why We Don’t Use Silver (Amalgam) Dental Fillings
Amalgam fillings don’t bond to the tooth, and so the dentist has to cut retention into the tooth to so that the filling will stay put in the tooth and won’t fall out. This often results in a filling that is deeper and more extensive than it actually needed to be.
With the strong forces that are used in day to day chewing combined with a filling that was significantly larger than it needed to be, the tooth could be at risk of breaking later in life.
Composite fillings decrease the likelihood of tooth breakage, as we are able to be more conservative with the amount of tooth structure we need to remove. So it’s the best for your teeth, aside from the obvious cosmetic benefits!