Dental Fillings: You Have Options!
Whether you’re a baby boomer with dark amalgam fillings that you want to replace with white fillings, or you simply need a cavity treated, Healthy Smiles of East Cobb provides our patients with options. We understand that when choosing a material for your dental filling, you need to understand the pros and cons of each option.
In today’s blog, you’ll learn:
Why you need a filling
Options for dental filling materials
Pros and cons of amalgam and composite resin
How fillings are placed and aftercare
Our doctors’ preference for fillings
Why You Need a Dental Filling
Fillings repair teeth with tooth decay to restore good dental health and comfortable oral function. Only 1% of humans live a lifetime without tooth decay, also known as dental caries. The rest of us will need a filling or crown at some point.
Cavities usually form as a result of improper or inconsistent brushing and flossing. When you eat any starch, and sugar is a starch, the ultra-hard enamel on your teeth temporarily softens. Bad oral bacteria like Streptococcus mutans attack the vulnerable enamel, feast on starches, and produce acid that further harms the enamel. Bacteria eat through tooth enamel, sometimes continuing through the underlying dentin and the core of the tooth, which results in the need for root canal therapy (RCT).
When you attend semi-annual checkups, Dr. Salatino will search your mouth for signs of tooth decay and the precursor to tooth decay, demineralized enamel that hasn’t returned to its hard, protective state. A large or deep cavity will need a dental crown to support the tooth on all sides. However, if you see the dentist when you notice a black spot on one of your teeth or have a toothache, we may be able to treat it with a dental filling.
Options for Dental Filling Materials
The two most common materials used for dental fillings are composite resin and amalgam.
Composite resin is a plastic substance with miniscule glass particles. We tint the resin to blend with the color of the afflicted tooth’s enamel, so the filling blends seamlessly and looks natural.
Amalgam is a combination of metals like silver, tin, copper, and the potentially hazardous heavy metal, mercury. These fillings appear dark and metallic, so they’re obvious. You may hear amalgam referred to as “silver fillings.”
Precious metal fillings are made of gold, as well as silver, copper, and platinum. Their metallic color is obvious, not natural looking. They also don’t bond with natural tissues, so they reside in the cavity but can shift. The gold casting alloys used for gold fillings do not contain mercury.
Pros and Cons of Amalgam and Composite Resin
Our most commonly placed filling material is composite resin.
Composite resin dental fillings can last five to ten years in patients with good oral health. Though the cost is greater than the price of amalgam fillings, resin looks like tooth enamel, so it virtually disappears, blending with the affected tooth’s enamel and surrounding teeth. However, dental insurance may not cover the cost of composite fillings, except for front teeth. Your policy may only pay for amalgam on molars. We can check your policy, explain its limitations, and provide you with an estimate for composite and amalgam.
The good news about amalgam fillings is that they can endure beyond 20 years in patients with good oral health. In addition to their unappealing appearance, amalgam fillings aren’t safe for patients with an allergy to mercury. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that pregnant or nursing mothers, children, and high-risk populations like the elderly and immunocompromised individuals avoid amalgam fillings. Because of their low cost, the World Health Organization condones the use of amalgam fillings for now, but they’re phasing the material out due to its 50% mercury content and the potential health risks.
How a Dental Filling Is Placed and Aftercare
Dental fillings are placed chairside in one visit, unlike crowns which require wearing a temporary and attending a second appointment for placement. Regardless of the material you and your dentist choose, the appointment should take about an hour, in most cases.
After determining that a dental filling is the best treatment option and selecting the filling material, the dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the nerves within and near the afflicted tooth. Once the tooth is numb, the dentist will remove tooth decay with either a handheld drill or a hard-tissue dental laser. The hole is then sanitized and prepped to receive the dental filling.
Next, the dentist places the liquid filling material into the hole and shapes it to fit well with opposing teeth when your mouth is closed. A gentle curing light hardens the filling material, then the dentist may use bite paper to determine whether further shaping of the filling is necessary.
In only one visit, your tooth will be restored. After two hours, you can eat but may want to chew on the side of your mouth opposite the filling. If your cavity is deep, the tooth’s nerve may become irritated and cause a throbbing toothache for a few days or weeks. You can use over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen to control the discomfort. Some patients experience no pain at all with a dental filling.
The Healthy Smiles of East Cobb Professional Preference for Fillings
Dr. Jeffrey Salatino of Healthy Smiles of East Cobb prefers to place tooth-colored restorations (1) so that patients can enjoy a white smile and (2) because they don’t contain any metal. Composite resin fillings have helped his patients enjoy restored oral health, comfortable oral function, and the confidence that comes from having an all-white smile.
If you have a toothache or it’s time for your six-month checkup and cleaning, call Healthy Smiles of East Cobb today at 770-973-9765 or email care@hsecdental.com. Our beautiful dental office is located at Johnson Square Office Park on Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, GA. We are accepting new patients and look forward to serving you!