Putting off cavity treatment can be detrimental to your oral health, and can cause lasting, sometimes irreversible damage to your teeth. If you have a tooth that’s broken, is showing signs of decay, or perhaps you have an old dental filling in need of replacement, we’re here to assist. We use tooth-colored (composite) dental fillings that are discreet, and designed to blend in with your natural teeth. If you’d like to learn more about this service, continue reading or give our friendly team a call today!
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Many years ago, decayed teeth were typically repaired with metal (amalgam) fillings. Although it was certainly effective, the dark metal spots were unsightly, making patients dread the idea of repairing a cavity. Well, those days are far in the past.
Composite resin has proven to be a safer, more effective, and more seamless solution for decayed teeth. The tooth-colored material is a putty-like mixture of ultra-fine acrylic and glass particles. Since it doesn’t contain any metal whatsoever, it’s arguably safer than traditional metal fillings!
Unlike amalgam fillings, composite resin can be shaded to match any natural tooth color. That means it can be personalized to blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile! Additionally, composite resin is biocompatible, meaning it bonds directly with the enamel and allows us to preserve more of your natural tooth structure.
The Process of Getting a Tooth-Colored Filling
In many cases, a tooth-colored filling can be placed in just a single appointment. While it usually takes about an hour, the exact time will vary based on your specific case.
Before the procedure begins, we’ll numb the work area with a local anesthetic to ensure you’re completely comfortable. Once you’re good to go, we’ll remove the decayed sections of the enamel and thoroughly sanitize the tooth. Then, we’ll apply a color-matched composite resin in layers until all of the lost enamel is restored.
Ultraviolet light will be shined onto the filling to harden it in just a few seconds. After we check your bite and make any final adjustments, we’ll polish the final result. You’ll be ready to show off your newly repaired smile that same day!
The Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
By choosing to get a tooth-colored filling in Edmonton, you can expect to reap several incredible benefits, such as:
- Natural-looking appearance. Aside from being custom shaded to your natural color, your filling won’t cause the surrounding area of the tooth to appear grayer over time as metal fillings do.
- Less temperature sensitivity. Since composite resin bonds to the enamel, it’s able to shield the nerves more effectively from aggravating stimuli.
- Better oral health. Over time, metal fillings expand and contract, weakening the tooth and increasing the risk of damage. With tooth-colored fillings, you don’t have to worry about it chipping, cracking, or fracturing your tooth!
- Preserved natural tooth structure. Less enamel needs to be removed for the filling, which means you can keep more of your natural tooth structure.
- Lower risk of future decay. Tooth-colored fillings make it harder for bacteria to access the inner chambers of the tooth, meaning you’ll have a lower risk of decay and infection down the line.