Tooth-colored fillings are better than silver options for numerous reasons. The main difference between these options is the nature of the metals versus the composite resins in the tooth-colored option. These create non-metal fillings with advantages in the areas of appearance, tooth conservation, and better stability over time.
What Is Improved about Tooth-Colored Fillings
In the past, when you needed a cavity filled, the material your dentist used would like to be a silver amalgam, a semi-soft combination of metals like silver, tin, and copper. These fillings also contain mercury, which binds the other alloys together.
Tooth-colored fillings contain no metal but are a mixture of resins known as composite. This material is much more pliable than amalgam and is also mixed by your dentist to match your natural tooth color. Composite fillings also contain glass micro-particles to mimic the translucent qualities of tooth enamel, making them much more attractive.
Another reason the Modern Dentistry of St. Cloud prefers composite fillings is their composition allows us to remove the minimal amount of tooth material to ensure a good bond. Silver fillings come only in specific sizes and need more room inside your tooth. This means a thinner natural tooth structure that the more rigid metal filling can itself damage.
Finally, because your tooth-colored filling can fit better, the bond with your tooth prevents any leaking, which could endanger your tooth. In addition, composite resins do not change with temperature as metal fillings do, so they won’t loosen over time.
To learn more about how tooth-colored fillings might work for you in St. Cloud, FL, we invite you to contact our team today.