Teeth Filling Options For Our Wickford Patients

There are a number of materials available to fill a tooth. We take a look at these in today’s blog.

The most common restorative treatment that we carry out at the Cygnet Dental Practice is a filling. This is common throughout the world of dentistry and has been a good option for restoring a tooth that has started to decay, or, in some cases, that has been damaged in other ways. While any treatment will depend on the advice of the dentist following an examination and possibly x-rays, there is a good chance that having the tooth filled will be a likely solution.

Traditionally, this procedure has been carried out using a material known as amalgam. As we will now see, there are other options available at our Wickford surgery to use depending on the nature of the problem, which offer significant benefits for our patients.

Amalgam

Amalgam was first used to fill a tooth in Europe in the 1800s but has been thought to have been in use in other parts of the world a very long time before this. It is made from a combination of metals which include tin, copper, silver and mercury. As these are all metals, it isn’t surprising that they provide a very strong filling material and why amalgam has been used for so many years. While amalgam is very strong, it isn’t without its drawbacks. The main one of these being that it produces a dark coloured filling which can be very visible, depending on the location of the cavity. Understandably then, there have been many attempts to produce a more natural coloured filling, and we are pleased to say that these are now widely available and we will look at those shortly.

Other issues for amalgam include the fact that it does not bond very well with the natural tooth and any cavity has to be shaped carefully to secure the filling in place. This often means removing more natural healthy tooth material than is ideal. Amalgam also shrinks over time and can leave small gaps around the edges where bacteria and food can collect and contribute to further tooth decay.

White tooth fillings

The ‘holy grail’ for stable tooth fillings has been to produce one that is not only strong but can be matched to the colour of the rest of the tooth.  The latter part of this has been achieved for some time, but with a weaker filling that could only be used largely for cosmetic purposes. This has now changed and natural looking dental fillings are now widely available and will withstand most stress that is applied to them. There may be cases such as a large filling of a rear tooth where the dentist may feel that a crown or possibly an inlay/onlay provides a stronger option, but generally, white teeth fillings now offer a strength almost equivalent to that of amalgam.

White fillings are made from resins and fine ground glass or ceramic and can be adjusted to blend in well with the rest of the tooth, making it almost invisible to those around you.

Unlike amalgam fillings, these contain no mercury, which we know some of our patients will be happy to hear. While mercury has been deemed safe to use in dental fillings, it still causes concerns for some patients due to it being a toxic material. There is a gradual move away from using mercury too, as there are concerns about it leaking into the environment.

Not only do white fillings look natural but, due to their excellent bonding properties, they usually require less of the tooth to be removed than would be the case with amalgam. Unlike amalgam, they don’t shrink and therefore reduce the risk of decay around the filling edges.

Gold fillings

The metal contents of amalgam fillings are not the only ones that can be used. While not widely used, for fairly obvious reasons, gold actually provides a very good quality filling material. Although it may be beyond the pockets of many patients, it has excellent strength properties for those that choose it.

Due to the price of gold fillings, which can be over £500 and even double that depending on the size, it is usually only chosen by those who like the appearance as it is also very visible. It is sometimes used by pop stars etc as a ‘statement piece’ but at least one that is practical too.

GI fillings

GI, or glass ionomer, fillings are not too well known and few patients will have these. This is because it is quite a weak material that can’t really be used in most cavity situations. Where it is used, it will be on non biting surfaces and as a protective measure. A good example of this is to protect the neck of a tooth where the gums have receded, exposing this less well protected part of the tooth. GI also provides fluoride which also helps to protect it. Most patients of Cygnet Dental are probably unlikely to come across this during their treatments.

There are, of course, other restoration options that the dentist might consider for more significant or complex problems. This includes the likes of crowns, onlays and inlays. We will discuss the options available following your examination.

If you would like to discover more about the treatment options that we have available, whether that be restorative or cosmetic, we are always happy to help. If you would like to make an appointment with us, you can do so via the online form on our website or by giving us a call on 01268 733078.