Composite fillings are made of plastic resin and glass particles mixed together. Your dentist may offer you composite dental fillings if they think you would benefit from them. You can ask your dentist for a composite filling, and if they do not think it would be of benefit to you, they will let you know and offer alternatives.
A cavity occurs when bacteria on your teeth produce acid that breaks down the enamel. The goal of any filling is to seal the resulting hole in your tooth to protect it from furth damage that could result in eventual tooth loss.
Your dentist may recommend composite fillings to you, or you may ask for them and your dentist may agree to the procedure. Here are some situations in which you and your dentist may decide on composite dental fillings for treating your oral health issues.
Traditional fillings are made of an amalgam of several different kinds of metals. Some people are sensitive to one or more of these metallic ingredients and may have an allergic reaction to them if they have a traditional filling. Composite fillings contain no metal and are hypoallergenic.
One of the metals included in traditional fillings is mercury, which can be poisonous. Though metal fillings are regarded as safe, you may be uncomfortable with having mercury in your mouth. Many dentists share this concern, so if you tell your dentist you do not want a mercury filling, they may comply with your request for a composite.
Composite dental fillings are made of materials that can be matched to the color of your teeth. This makes them less noticeable in your mouth because they do not cause the teeth to become discolored.
A composite filling bonds to the surface of your natural tooth at a micro-level. This creates a stronger bond that provides additional support for each tooth.
Because of the way that a composite filling bonds to the surface of the tooth, it may not be necessary to remove as much of the tooth's material as it would be otherwise. However, this is not always the case and depends on the extent of the decay. Nevertheless, preserving natural teeth to the extent possible is usually preferable, so your dentist may recommend a composite filling if they think it would help to preserve more tooth tissue.
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When you need to have a tooth filled, you may have more than one restoration option. Your dentist will recommend the treatment that they think will benefit you the most but will take your concerns into consideration when offering treatment options.
Request an appointment or call Southern Cal Smiles: Susan Fredericks, D.D.S, M.P.H. at 818-657-8055 for an appointment in our Woodland Hills office.
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