Metal fillings detract from smile aesthetics. Plus, in recent years, both patients and dental care providers have expressed concern about their safety. Could your alternative be composite resin fillings that are beautifully tooth-colored, durable and long-lasting? Dr. Edward Dooley and his staff at Dooley Dental in Wall Township place white fillings for many good reasons.
Show off Your Smile
You won’t hide your smile any more if you have your teeth restored with tooth-colored fillings. An inventive blend of glass particles and acrylic, composite resin fillings are strong and look just like your natural tooth enamel. Rather than covering your mouth when you speak or laugh because you don’t want old-style restorations to show, you can smile as broadly as you want. No one will see your dental fillings done in Wall Township.
The Process Behind the Fillings
Dr. Dooley uses local anesthesia to numb the area around the decaying tooth. He removes the decay with a high-speed drill. Unlike the silver filling process, Dr. Dooley can remove far less of the healthy enamel surrounding the cavity. That’s because composite resin filling material bonds right to the tooth structure. Metal fillings, however, rest within the prepared site the way asphalt fills a pothole on the highway.
Dr. Dooley layers the tooth-colored material into the tooth, hardening each layer with a blue curing light. This makes the bond between the tooth and the filling really stable. The dentist shapes and polishes the material for proper bite and natural-looking shape. Teeth filled with composite resin stay strong and functional for years and have less sensitivity to hot and cold than teeth restored with amalgam.
To sum up, metal fillings are dark, make teeth temperature sensitive and require extensive enamel removal around the cavity. Also, there continues to be safety concerns about amalgam because of its mercury content.
On the other hand, composite resin fillings are practically seamless, matching natural enamel in color and sheen. They have no metallic content and remain strong for years.
Replacing Metal Fillings
Some people with multiple metal fillings, particularly in the front of their mouths, wish to refinish their smiles with tooth-colored fillings. To do this, they can replace a section of the mouth at a time, starting with the “smile zone” at the front.
Other reasons to change metal fillings for composite resin are:
- Hairline fractures in or around an existing metal filling
- Leakage of food residue and saliva in and around a filling, causing an accumulation of harmful oral bacteria
- Age of the filling
Which Kind of Filling is Better?
Discuss your restorative dentistry options with Dr. Edward Dooley. He is your best resource for information on metal versus tooth-colored fillings. Contact Dooley Dental today for a consultation with this skilled dentist.
