Fillings are the standard treatment for cavities, or dental caries. While our goal is always to prevent cavities and other dental issues, you may still get the occasional cavity. If this happens, you want effective treatment that stops the cavity from progressing further and causing additional problems without doing permanent damage to your smile.
Heer at our Fort Worth dental office, we offer composite fillings for cavities to keep your smile looking its best – even after a cavity.
What Are Composite Fillings?
To treat a cavity, we must first remove the decayed portion of your tooth, sterilize it to prevent further damage, and then seal the hole with a filling material. In the past, many materials have been used to fill cavities, including gold, silver, and an amalgam of several metals.
Recently, advances in dental technology have given us fillings made of a composite resin that can be shaded to perfectly match the color of your own teeth. When these fillings are placed, they blend in with natural tooth enamel so well that you probably won’t be able to identify the filling in your own mouth!
Should I Remove My Amalgam Fillings?
Amalgam fillings, sometimes simply referred to as “silver fillings,” are actually a combination of several metals, including silver, tin, copper, and mercury. Many patients become concerned when they learn that their metal fillings contain mercury and wonder if the fillings should be removed.
Multiple studies performed by the U.S. Public Health Department as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have failed to show a connection between amalgam dental fillings and any known adverse health conditions; however, many of our patients would prefer not to have mercury in their mouths, and we can understand this point of view.
If you are troubled by your amalgam fillings, please call our Fort Worth dental office and schedule a consultation. Dr. Green will examine your fillings and then consult with you so that you can make an informed decision as to whether to replace your amalgam fillings with tooth-colored composite fillings.
What Are the Advantages of Composite Fillings?
Aside from the clear aesthetic advantage and the fact that composite resin fillings are mercury-free, there are even more reasons to use composite fillings:
• Composite fillings require less preparation of the tooth, which means that we can preserve more of your own healthy tooth structure.
• Because amalgam fillings are made of metals, they can expand and contract in response to temperature changes. Over time, these minute movements add up and can cause the filling to fall out or even damage the tooth. Composite fillings will not change shape or size, avoiding this problem.
• Amalgam fillings are essentially held in place mechanically. Composite fillings are placed in layers and actually bond with your tooth, which helps to keep them where they belong.
If you’re concerned about your silver, gold, or amalgam fillings or if it’s simply time for a check-up, call our Fort Worth dental office at (817) 737-6601 today and schedule your appointment with Dr. Nikki Green.
