Until recently, dental patients have been told that repairing teeth with white fillings was just for cosmetic purposes, and white fillings may not be as durable as the metal restorations. This philosophy is now passed. With the modern technologies of dental adhesion, resins, lasers, and state-of-the-art ceramics, the new porcelain restorations as close to rivaling nature in strength, wear, function, and appearance. There are now sixteen-year studies showing that with properly administered technique, these advanced restorations surpass traditional dentistry. With these new materials, it is possible to bond teeth back together, virtually restoring them back to their majority of circumstances.
What Are Non-Metal Fillings?
Non-Metal fillings are made up of a mercury-free, non-toxic, tooth-colored, composite resin material. It is used in the treatment of cavities and to repair cracked, broken, or worn down teeth from behaviors such as nail-biting and tooth grinding. Non-metal fillings have a multitude of reasons for being the prefered filling material by most dentists:
- Aesthetics — the shade/color of the composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth. Composites are particularly well suited for use in front teeth or visible parts of teeth.
- Bonding to tooth structure — composite fillings micro-mechanically bond to tooth structure, providing further support.
- Versatility — in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken, or worn teeth.
- Tooth-sparing preparation — less tooth structure needs to be removed compared with amalgam fillings when removing decay and preparing for the filling.
Non- metal fillings are also used for replacing silver fillings, known as amalgam, which are notorious for poor aesthetics, permanent discoloration of surrounding tooth structure, irreversible damage of tooth structure due to the silver filling causing cracks and fractures within the tooth itself, and even allergic reactions. Over the past several years, concerns have been raised about amalgam fillings. Because these fillings contain the toxic substance mercury, some people think they are responsible for causing a number of diseases, including autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Non-metal fillings are much more biocompatible compared to other alternative filling materials due to the fact that they are non-toxic. Since composite resin resembles natural tooth structure, we are able to make a more thorough diagnosis.
If you are considering replacing those old amalgam fillings to prevent your teeth from further damage, call us at 805-568-3733 to see how non-metal fillings could benefit you.
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