Choosing the Appropriate Variety of Dental Filling Material for Your Teeth

Several advances are visible in dental hygiene and care. Unfortunately, tooth decay remains an issue for American adults and children. If tooth decay doesn’t receive prompt treatment, it can lead to severe dental health problems, including loss of teeth and dental abscesses. It is why six-monthly dental visits are essential for children and others to enable the dentist offices near me to check for tooth decay signs and other dental health issues.

If you have a cavity in your tooth, the bacteria in your mouth have created permanent damage best restored by using dental fillings. When you visit the dentist to fill cavities, the professional will likely offer you different filling materials helpful in filling cavities. However, choosing the appropriate variety for your teeth is challenging and is best left to the expertise of the dentist near Mesa, AZ, instead of making a choice yourself.

The filling materials available to restore your teeth are gold, silver amalgam, composite resin, glass ionomers, and ceramic. Although each filling material is suitable for filling cavities, some varieties are better suited for specific situations. Your dentist is the optimal professional to help you determine the material best suited for your particular situation. The dentist considers your current dental health and budget before recommending any filling material.

When selecting dental fillings best suited for you, the location of the cavity in your tooth, the severity of the damage, the cost of the filling material, your insurance coverage need consideration. Therefore please continue reading for more information on each type of dental filling material.

Gold Fillings

Gold fillings are incredibly durable, non-corrosive, and last for up to 15 years with proper care. However, they are expensive, cost you more than silver amalgam fillings, and require multiple visits to the dentist to restore your tooth.

Silver Amalgam Fillings

Durability and sturdiness is also a feature of silver amalgam fillings. However, you may not find them aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, they are likely to expand and contract, causing your tooth to crack than other types of fillers. You may also worry about the long-term safety of silver amalgam fillings because they contain mercury, a neurotoxin that is harmful to health. Fortunately, the FDA has confirmed silver amalgam fillings are entirely safe and cause no harm whatsoever.

Composite Resin Fillings

Tooth-colored composite resin fillings are an appealing option because it is possible to match them closely to resemble the color of your natural teeth. However, tooth-colored fillings cost more than silver amalgam fillings and require replacements every five to seven years.

Ceramic Fillings

Porcelain helps make ceramic fillings making them an aesthetically pleasing option that is also durable. However, the cost of ceramic fillings is higher than silver amalgam. Unfortunately, they also fray down the teeth in the opposite jaw when the porcelain roughens.

Glass Ionomers

Also known as acrylic fillings, glass ionomers last for fewer than five years but are an excellent choice for children who have developing teeth. Glass ionomers also release fluoride, making them practical to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent decay.

After having information about dental filling materials, you must allow cosmetic dentistry Mesa to provide the filling material best suited for your cavity. Unfortunately, you cannot choose any material available for any tooth because the filler may not be suitable. For example, an incisor with a hole is better suited for tooth-colored fillings, while your molars, where biting pressures are the highest, are ideal for silver amalgam or gold fillings. Therefore you should allow your dentist to give you a smile makeover by choosing the most appropriate dental filling materials for your cavity instead of choosing yourself and committing errors that may impact your smile.

What Happens After Getting Dental Fillings

After having your tooth restored, please do not assume the dentist has provided a permanent tooth filling. Fillers, regardless of the material you choose, have a lifespan and need replacements sooner or later. You can prolong the life of the fillers by caring for your teeth appropriately and preventing tooth decay from ever again affecting you.

If you wish to succeed in your goal, you must maintain excellent dental hygiene, brushing your teeth twice daily, once in the morning and once before getting to bed at night. Flossing your teeth is also a requirement you cannot overlook at any time of the day or night. Getting regular checkups and cleanings are also essential to maintain your dental fillings and prevent tooth decay from affecting you.

If you have a cavity in your tooth, please contact Bella Via Dental to get the most appropriate variety of fillers for your teeth.