Dental fillings seal up the hole in the tooth after the decay has been removed. Instead of completely extracting the tooth, dental filling aim at preserving your natural tooth. Besides decay, dental fillings can also seal a fractured or broken tooth.
Amalgam
Amalgam is a blend of metals. It has 50% mercury coupled with silver, copper, or tin. Amalgam is probably the cheapest in the market. Amalgam is easy to apply and is stronger than composite. Additionally, it works best for deep cavity fillings. The major downside to amalgam is the aesthetic appearance.
Composite filling
Composite filling combines powdered glass and acrylic resin. The good thing about composite material is that it can be tailor-made to suit the color of your natural teeth. As such, people will hardly notice that you have any dental fillings. Comparing amalgam and composite, composite filling is not all that durable. It is not ideal for deep cavity fillings. A composite filling is not as easy to apply as an amalgam filling.
Gold
Gold fillings are more pronounced in appearance. Of all the fillings available, gold fillings are the strongest and most durable. Gold fillings are not applied directly into the hole. They are first made in the laboratory. Lab technicians have to get an impression of the affected tooth first. With this specific impression, dental experts fashion the gold filling as precisely as they can. Once the procedure is done, the filling is safely secured and sealed onto the affected tooth. The process alone of crafting the perfect gold filling takes time.
Glass ionomer
Glass ionomer is made out of cement. The strength of glass ionomer filling is less than composite fillings. Glass ionomer fillings are used on temporary fillings. For instance, if a child's milk tooth has a small cavity, then glass ionomer is the perfect filling as they await the eruption of permanent teeth. Research shows that glass ionomer fillings release fluoride into the tooth. Fluoride is an important element that prevents the onset and progression of tooth decay. We understand that making the choice can be confusing. We will help you get the best filling materials available for you. Give us a call today. We are available 24/7.
Our Dental Blog | Smiles of Tulsa - Dentist in Tulsa, OK Corbyn VanBrunt, DDS has created this informative blog to help educate the community. Click here to learn more about home care, procedures and more! Smiles of Tulsa, 6565 S. Yale Ave., Ste. 1103, Tulsa, OK 74136 ~ (918) 891-3059 ~ smilesoftulsa.com ~ 12/7/2024 ~ Associated Words: Preventive Dentistry Tulsa OK ~