It’s never fun to find out you have a dental cavity. While no one wants to come in for a follow-up treatment appointment, we can treat cavities efficiently and with lasting results.
Tooth-colored fillings are a great way to treat cavities. This general dentistry service offers a number of benefits to patients. Indeed, tooth-colored fillings are a quick treatment option that can maintain the appearance of patients’ smiles.
In this article, we will discuss the main benefits of using tooth-colored fillings
1. Quick Treatment
The tooth-colored filling procedure is quick and painless. It takes less than an hour to treat one or two cavities. During your treatment appointment, we will administer local anesthesia to numb the gums and teeth in the treatment area. After the numbing effect sets in, which typically takes 10 to 15 minutes, we will proceed with treatment.
First, we will remove any infected tooth material, and then clean the tooth. Next, we will apply the tooth-colored resin (tinted to match the natural shade of your teeth) directly into the cavity that has been left by tooth decay. We will shape the composite resin material to maintain your natural bite, and harden it with a special curing light. During this process, we will work as efficiently as possible to limit the amount of actual treatment time. In many cases, we can place, cure, and polish your filling in about 15 minutes.
2. Aesthetically Appealing
Unlike the silver amalgam and gold fillings of the past, tooth-colored fillings blend in with your surrounding tooth structure so no one else can tell that you have had a cavity. Whether you are laughing, speaking, or yawning, all anyone will see is your beautiful, white teeth. Having this peace of mind helps people smile more often.
3. Long Lasting
If you properly care for your teeth, gums, and fillings, your tooth-colored fillings could last for 10 years or more. Be sure to brush twice a day, floss daily, and attend a dental exam and cleaning every six months. In addition, you should avoid bad dental habits such as chewing on inedible objects like pens or your fingernails and avoid chewing on ice or hard candies, all of which can chip or dislodge your fillings.
4. Leaves More Healthy Tooth Structure Intact
The composite resin that is used in tooth-colored fillings bonds to the teeth. This means that we do not have to remove as much natural tooth structure, as we would with silver amalgam or gold fillings. This allows us to treat your cavity more and maintain more of your natural tooth structure.
5. Mercury-free
Silver amalgam fillings contain some mercury, which is a toxic material. Although the amount of mercury in silver amalgam fillings is low and not considered dangerous to your health, most patients prefer a mercury-free option, such as tooth-colored fillings.
The next time you find out you have a cavity, be sure to ask your dentist what your options are to repair the cavity.
