Learn about the Different Types of Dental Filling Materials

Dental visits are not the most exciting, especially if you experience the signs of cavities. However, visiting the dentist is essential and not an option because it is the only solution to consider when you have holes in your teeth. In addition, early diagnosis can help prevent cavities and safeguard your oral health condition from worsening.

When treating cavities, the dentist in North York will vacate the decayed portion of the tooth and fill the sunken space with dental fillings. The hole is filled using traditional drilling techniques or state-of-the-art contactless laser cavity filling.

Confusions exist that dental fillings merely fix cavities, which is incorrect because dental filling materials also help repair broken or cracked teeth that have excessively worn down.

Different Varieties of Dental Fillings

Presently dental fillings in York, ON, offers different types of dental fillers. The dentist will advise which filling material best suits your needs. Occasionally you may have the option to choose the filler. Sometimes it would help if you adhered to your dentist’s advice. However, it is best to know about different dental filling materials before going for treatment to restore your teeth.

Dental Filling Materials You Should Be Aware of

• Silver Amalgam: silver amalgam fillers are a blend of different metals like mercury, copper, and tin. These filters are the most common and widely used in dentistry because of their durability and cost-effectiveness. Silver amalgam fillers last for a decade or more with proper care. They are robust and can withstand the biting and chewing forces for many years. In addition, there are no concerns about the filler getting contaminated by blood or saliva. However, the colour of these fillers is not aesthetically pleasing and can get darker over time.
• Composite Resin Fillings: Tooth-colored composite resin fillings are made from plastic, silica, and glass quartz added to a resin base. The filling material is bonded in the hollow space after removing tooth decay and hardened with ultraviolet light. Dentists match the colour of the composite resin to your natural teeth shade. However, composite resin fillings can stain over time. Composite resin fillers do not require more intensive tooth structure removal than amalgam fillings, making them a popular option for restoring teeth with cavities. Unfortunately, they are not durable as silver amalgam and need substitutes every five to seven years.
• Glass Ionomer Fillers: a specific type of glass and acrylic helps make glass ionomer dental fillers. These fillings are generally used in young children with developing teeth because they release fluoride to help insulate the tooth from further decay. Glass ionomer fillings are significantly weaker than composite resin fillers. As a result, they are more prone to fractures and have a lifespan of less than five years. In addition, they do not match the shade of the natural teeth as composite fillings do. However, the cost of composite resin fillers and glass ionomer fillers are similar.
• Ceramic Fillings: Porcelain helps make ceramic dental fillings. Porcelain is robust and long-lasting similar to silver amalgam or gold fillers. Ceramic fillers are also matched to the teeth shade. In addition, porcelain fillings are stain and abrasion resistant. However, they are known as indirect fillings because they need fabrication in a dental laboratory and two visits to the dentist when restoring teeth.
• Gold Dental Fillers: Filling materials made from gold are durable and will stay for years in the tooth. Alloys of gold and other metals, including copper, help make gold dental fillings. Unfortunately, these fillers are more expensive than other filling materials and need multiple visits to the dentist for placement. Gold fillers are noncorrosive and prevent further decay or damage to the tooth.

Caring for Your Dental Restorations

After receiving teeth fillings treatment from a North York dentist, you must care for them like your natural teeth. It includes following excellent dental hygiene practices like brushing and flossing daily and getting six monthly dental prophylaxis. You must also have an antibacterial mouthwash in your oral hygiene regimen and avoid consuming sugary and starchy foods or carbonated beverages.

Your teeth do not have the mechanism to restore themselves and need help from dentists when infected by tooth decay resulting in cavities. While you can find different filling materials selecting the filler recommended by the dentist is excellent to ensure you safeguard your teeth with the optimal material on the market.

Marlee Dental Office routinely performs tooth restorations with dental fillers, offering patients different types of filling materials. If you have holes in your teeth or are damaged from impacts on your mouth, kindly arrange a meeting with the dental practice to restore your teeth with suitable dental filling materials.