Natural Looking Dental Fillings

Amalgam isn’t the only filling material that can be used for cavities here in Wickford.

Other than check ups, the most common procedure that we carry out is the restoration of a tooth where a cavity has developed. This is caused by tooth decay and is quite common, especially in those with a sweet tooth! Fillings range from very small ones to larger ones. In the latter case, it may be more practical to restore the tooth using a crown instead.

Traditionally, amalgam has been used to fill cavities and there are good reasons for this. It is a strong and durable material and has been used for a very long time. There are potential issues with its use though and we will look at those now before turning our attention to the tooth coloured fillings that we can provide at the Cygnet Dental Practice.

The ‘problem’ with amalgam

There are three potential issues that arise with the use of amalgam. The main one, from a patient’s perspective is that these are very visible fillings that can be easily seen due to the dark nature of the materials used. Even on rear teeth, these can often be seen when people laugh or yawn. It is perhaps not surprising then that dentists have been looking to develop a more natural looking tooth filling material for some time.

The second issue with them is that, in many cases, placing an amalgam filling means shaping the cavity so that the amalgam will remain in place. As it doesn’t adhere well to the natural part of the tooth, this often means losing more of the natural tooth to create a shape that will hold the filling in its place than we would ideally like.

The final ‘issue’ for some patients is that amalgam contains mercury, a toxic material. The GDC has determined that its use is safe within amalgam fillings but some patients prefer to avoid it. There is also a call for its phasing out due to potential leakage into the environment from dental sources.

A modern solution

Some time ago, local dentists came up with a composite material that appeared to address all of these issues. For some time though, it was deemed that it would simply not be strong enough for most purposes. Following years of advances and improvements, the tooth coloured fillings that are now used in dental practices across the UK are deemed to offer sufficient strength for most purposes where an amalgam filling would be used.

Let us take a look then, how this material addresses the issues that we mentioned previously.

Visibility

Amalgam uses a combination of metals that include tin, silver, copper and mercury. These are dark materials. Our tooth coloured fillings contain none of these but are made from a combination of resin and powdered glass or ceramic particles. This mixture can be adjusted to match the colour of the patient’s natural tooth and, once placed, is then hardened with a special light and will be barely noticeable at all, except perhaps, on close examination. If you have a tooth coloured filling placed, you will be able to smile with confidence without anyone noticing that you have a filled tooth.

Natural tooth retention

While amalgam doesn’t adhere well to the natural tooth, this is not true of the tooth coloured fillings which have excellent adherent properties. This means that we need only remove the decayed material and there is no need to shape the cavity to retain it. There is one other advantage with this material too in that amalgam tends to shrink slightly over time, leaving small gaps around it where bacteria can enter and lead to further decay. This does not happen with white fillings, so there is less chance of decay around the filling material as long as you clean your teeth well.

Mercury

The good news for anyone concerned about the use of mercury in fillings is that the tooth coloured fillings contain none of this at all. This should allay any concerns that patients might have about any perceived health issues that could arise from having a cavity filled. Our Wickford dentists do all that we can to work with our patients to help them achieve the outcome that they hope for. Although other treatments such as teeth whitening and veneers are perhaps better known in the field of cosmetic dentistry, white teeth fillings can certainly help to keep a smile as attractive and natural looking as possible too.

If you would like to find out more about our white tooth fillings, or any other treatment that we offer whether restorative or cosmetic, why not make an appointment to see one of our dentists by contacting us today. You can do this either via the form on our website or by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078. We look forward to helping you!