Of all the restorative and cosmetic dental procedures available, many patients are most familiar with dental fillings.
Over the years, the composition of dental fillings has changed quite a big. If you had cavities when you were a child, it’s likely they were filled with dark amalgam fillings, which were initially developed from a combination of zinc, copper, tin, and mercury. In recent years, however, the mercury content in amalgam fillings has raised questions of safety among dentists and other health professionals.
In addition to being harmful to your health, traditional amalgam fillings often change shape, deteriorate, and leak as they wear down, making them an unstable dental restoration.
That’s why we use solid, attractive, tooth-colored fillings made of composite resin to fill cavities.
Tinted to blend with your natural tooth structure, composite fillings won’t compromise a beautiful smile with the dark patches associated with heavy metal dental fillings. Additionally, composite fillings are stronger than metal fillings because they bond directly to your tooth, creating a much more durable and natural-feeling restoration.
To place your composite fillings, we will carefully remove the decayed area of your tooth, clean the area thoroughly, and apply the restorative material. Your restoration will be shaped to fit in seamlessly with your surrounding teeth before the material is hardened with a curing light. Your filling will then be polished and buffed to give it a shiny and smooth look and feel.
If you are interested in upgrading your amalgam fillings from years ago for new, contemporary composite fillings, let us know at your appointment.
The dentists at Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, Wyoming have years of experience caring for the dental needs of their patients. They encourage you to call their dental office at (307) 672-7567 for more information about metal-free dentistry or to schedule an appointment.