Even if the main goal of your dental treatment is to restore a tooth, aesthetics (visual appeal) still plays a big role in maintaining your smile. If you’ve ever had a cavity treated with a metal filling, and you see it every time you smile or brush your teeth in the mirror, you might already understand. Fortunately, today’s dental fillings don’t have to be crafted from metal, and are often made from innovative composite resin, instead. Dubbed tooth-colored fillings, restorations made from resin offer a few advantages over their metal predecessors, which is why we typically recommend them to patients with mild to moderate cavities.
1: They’re Called “Tooth-Colored” for a Reason
One of the most consistent complaints about metal amalgam fillings is that they contrast sharply with the pearly white appearance of teeth. Though newly-restored and healthy, a tooth with an amalgam filling can’t conceal the metal’s presence, and can detract from your smile’s appeal. Tooth-colored composite resin, made from acrylic particles, can be tinted to match the distinct color and shade of your tooth for the utmost discretion.
2: Resin Bonds to Your Tooth Better than Metal
As the name suggests, a dental filling is designed to fill the cavity, or hole, left behind in your tooth by infectious bacteria. Its dual purpose is to strengthen the weakened tooth while sealing its interior against further bacterial infection. To accomplish this, tooth-colored fillings can be effectively bonded to the surface of the tooth with an advanced adhesive, making it a more viable seal than metal, which doesn’t bond as well to your tooth.
3: Composite Resin is Biocompatible
Biocompatible describes materials that can benefit, or at least cause no harm, to your biological tissues. Metal fillings not only contain small amounts of mercury, but the nature of metal is to change shape with alternating temperatures. Extreme heat and cold can cause a metal filling to expand or contract (respectively), potentially damaging your tooth structure. Without a trace of metal within them, tooth-colored fillings do not have the potential to damage your healthy tooth structure or the tissues surrounding it.
ABOUT YOUR FUQUAY VARINA FAMILY DENTIST:
For over 15 years, Dr. Michele Collier and the talented professionals at Waterstone Family Dentistry have provided comfortable, compassionate dental care to patients of all ages from Fuquay Varina, NC, as well as Holly Springs, Angier, Willow Springs, Raleigh, and all surrounding communities. If you’d like to learn more, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Collier by calling (919) 557-5250 today.
