Types of Dental Fillings Used in Dentistry

It is so unfortunate that a big part of the world’s population still suffers dental decay. It is no longer just a concern for children. Many adults are yielding the health of their teeth to cavities and other oral damages. Thankfully, dental fillings comprise a big part of restorative dentistry. They help restore the health of a tooth sparing it from advanced damage.

What Is A Dental Filling?

It features a special material that is used to fill a tooth that has suffered damage to the enamel. The filling act as a seal to close the holes formed that allow entry of bacteria inside the truth. With a filling in place, hardly will your teeth suffer infection, especially if you proactively care for your oral hygiene, going forward.

Why Would You Need A Dental Filling?

Fillings are used on a need basis. Your Pasadena dentist will examine your tooth to ensure there is a need for Sealing it with a filling. Technically, tooth decay is the most common cause of getting oral fillings. The decay process starts by damaging the enamel structure of a tooth, allowing the infection to penetrate to the other layers of the tooth.

Other than that, a breakage of your tooth can require filling. This is especially if the breakage is more than just a mere crack on the surface.

Are There Different Types of Fillings?

Like with most other dental appliances, there are different types of fillings. The materials used to manufacture a filling is what sets it apart from other types. The most common ones used in Family dentistry Pasadena TX include the following:

• Gold fillings – if you are going for a more luxurious look, perhaps gold fillings are your thing. They feature gold as the base material, along with an alloy of other metals. Gold fillings are very durable, with up to 30 years of service. They are a great choice for restoring teeth, which are exposed to the constant tension of chewing. However, as you would expect of any gold item, the cost of gold fillings is expensive for some people to afford.
• Amalgam or silver fillings – are the most common types of fillings used in dentistry. They are affordable, given that they are covered by most dental insurance companies. They feature silver material, along with other metals, to make a safe-to-use alloy. Some of the metals include copper, tin, and zinc and mercury. While some may worry about the safety of the amalgams, they have been used over 100 years and proven to be reliable for filling teeth. Even then, they are not the best-looking fillings, which explains why they are popular for back teeth than for front teeth. The silver fillings are also sturdy and durable. They can last between 10-15 years or more, with proper care. The only downside to these fillings is that they expand and contract with temperature changes. This might put a strain on a weak tooth, causing it to break and fall apart.
• Porcelain or ceramic fillings – they are as well a favorable go-to type of filling for cosmetic-sensitive patients. The ceramics are sturdier than composite fillings.
• Tooth-colored composite fillings – the popularity of these types of fillings is increasing every other day, thanks to aesthetic awareness. They feature a resin material that can be matched to the color of your natural teeth. Since this era glorifies beauty and cosmetic elevation, many patients are falling in love with composite fillings. They are especially useful for filling front teeth. The cost of composite fillings is not necessarily attractive. They can cost as much as double the cost of silver fillings, which is quite expensive.

How Do You Determine the Best Type of Filling?

Dental Fillings are supposed to seal your tooth completely, safeguarding it from further harm. In that case, the choice of dental filling you choose should meet this purpose. There is no sterling way of choosing the best dental filling. You have to consider some factors including the following few:

• Dentist’s recommendation
• Position of the filling – for front teeth, you may want to choose fillings that are more cosmetically appealing than not.
• Personal preference
• Budget – some fillings are more expensive than others.