There are several options for getting a filling. Two of the more popular are the traditional “silver” fillings and white composite fillings. Silver fillings are more accurately called amalgam fillings, because they are made up of a paste that is about 50% mercury and the rest is mostly silver and tin. We are a metal free office, so Dr. Bolt doesn’t place amalgam fillings. Instead he places the tooth colored white composite fillings. These are made of a combination of glass or quartz and resin materials. Though many people enjoy the fact that they blend in naturally with their tooth, there are other, even more important, advantages to white fillings.
Advantages of white fillings
- Because of their resin chemistry, it is possible to bond composite fillings directly to your tooth, which helps to seal it. Amalgam fillings cannot be bonded directly to your tooth, as a result there are often gaps between the filling and the tooth structure, making you vulnerable to futher decay.
- Composite fillings strengthen the tooth,while amalgam weakens it.
- Much less of your tooth structure has to be removed to place the white fillings. Amalgam requires a certain thickness to be strong enough, which means the inside of the cavity has to be made wider than the outside. With composite fillings, no healthy tooth structure has to be drilled away to get the filling to stay. Plus, no minimum thickness of filling material is required, so even tiny cavities can be filled without eating away at healthy tooth structure.
- Because they are made of composite instead of metal, you don’t have to worry about them conducting hot or cold, so there is less tooth sensitivity.
- As you can see from the pictures above they look much more natural than the amalgam fillings. You can’t really tell the filling from the tooth.
Not all dental schools teach how to place composite fillings on back teeth. Dr. Bolt has the additional training required, and has been placing white fillings for years. In fact, they are the only type of fillings he places. If you’re in need of a filling, you may request an appointment with our office.