A tooth filling may be a necessity if there is any type of decay or damage in one or more teeth. When this occurs, the decayed or damaged portion of the tooth must be removed and the resulting space, or cavity, must be filled with a material that will seal the remaining tooth and provide a solid surface that can be used for chewing, eating and talking, while also protecting the tooth from being exposed to culprits that can cause further decay.
When a tooth needs to be filled, a patient has a few options. The traditional treatment option used to be that the tooth was filled with a silver amalgam material. This provided a sturdy structure for the tooth but was somewhat unsightly, since the silver filling could be easily seen, detracting from the overall look of a person’s smile. In addition to the detrimental aesthetic effects of silver amalgam fillings, these types of dental fillings were also prone to developing minor cracks and fissures over time that could allow decay to get into the underlying tooth, causing additional decay and resulting in potentially more severe dental problems.
Today’s tooth-colored fillings are extremely popular options for anyone that is in need of a dental filling. This is because they are made from a composite material that is matched to the patient’s natural tooth color, making them nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the teeth in a patient’s mouth, as well as the rest of the tooth that the filling resides in. Not only do these tooth colored fillings look better, but due to the material that is used and the way the filling is bonded to the tooth, the material is stronger and longer-lasting than the old silver amalgam fillings.
In fact, not only are more and more patients that are in need of new dental fillings opting for the more natural looking, tooth colored composite fillings, but many people are choosing to have their older amalgam fillings replaced with this new material. Some older dental fillings are being replaced because the amalgam fillings are beginning to deteriorate, in order to prevent the possibility of additional tooth decay from occurring.
Other patients are simply opting to replace their amalgam fillings with the tooth colored composite material even if no issues have yet occurred with their older fillings. Most are doing so for cosmetic reasons, so they have a more natural-looking, beautiful smile. As an added bonus however, replacing the older fillings with the new strong, long-lasting material provides added benefits because it prevents any potential problems from arising due to unknown cracks that may occur in the old fillings.
The good news is that tooth colored fillings not only look great, but they are strong and extremely long lasting. That means that most patients can expect that once their teeth are filled using this type of composite material, they will not need to replace their fillings again. That is certainly something worth smiling about!
For more information about tooth filling options, and particularly tooth colored fillings, in Queens, NY, contact Park Dental Care at 718-274-1515.
