COMPOSITE FILLINGS BY AZURE DENTAL
An attractive and healthy smile makes a difference in your own confidence as well as how others view you.
Your anterior teeth are the ones that create your smile. Tooth decay in these teeth is obvious and can cause anxiety when you realize how those little dark patches ruin your smile.
In the past, repairing decay meant using dark-colored metal fillings that permanently affected the appearance of your smile. Fortunately, those days are over!
Tooth-colored composite fillings are a cosmetic dental treatment used to fix cavities, leaving your teeth looking whole and natural.
Now you can smile again with confidence!
WHAT IS AMALGAM?
Amalgam, a mixture of metals including silver, is sometimes still used in back teeth due to its strength and longevity. While amalgam was used for more than 100 years to fill cavities, we have a better, more esthetic option today.
WHAT IS COMPOSITE RESIN?
Composite resin is a mixture of glass (or ceramic) and plastic used to fill cavities. These resins appear so similar to natural enamel that they can also be used to recolor teeth as well as reshape teeth that are chipped or naturally disfigured.
Composite fillings can be blended to the same color as your original tooth, and they require less removal of healthy tooth structure, unlike metal fillings.
In recent years, dental technology has created materials that make composite fillings stronger and more durable than before. In many cases, they are even being used more frequently in back teeth, as well, for a more natural look.
HOW ARE FILLINGS PLACED?
The tooth is prepared by cleaning out decay. In the case of a chipped or cracked tooth, the surface is readied for the composite material.
There are several different types of composite material, and the size of the cavity will dictate which kind of material is used. Some composites are bonded onto the tooth using a special bonding liquid while others use a special light to harden and bond the composite material. Large fillings are placed in layers with the light being used on each layer to harden the material.
Once the cavity has been filled and the composite is hardened, the dentist will remove the excess material and smooth the filling down. It will then be polished to a sheen that looks and feels like your natural tooth.
IS IT TIME FOR A CHECKUP?
In most cases, you will not experience any discomfort or sensitivity until a cavity is quite large. Treatment is simpler, more comfortable, and costs less when we can catch problems early. This is just one reason why visiting our Colleyville dental office on a regular basis for routine comprehensive examinations is so important!
Contact Azure Dental today to make an appointment or request more information about composite fillings.
