Old filling replacement
Metal fillings are often highly noticeable and can detract from the beauty of your smile. However, the aesthetic disadvantages of metal fillings are not the only reason to consider having them removed and replaced. Our cosmodent cosmetic dentist provides porcelain fillings, inlays, and onlays for the replacement of metal restorations, and would be happy to discuss this option with you during your regularly scheduled dental appointments.
Reasons to Consider Replacing Metal Fillings
Metal fillings do not look natural and can negatively impact the appearance of your smile. In addition, metal fillings are not bonded to the tooth, which can allow for them to come loose or fall out over time. Because the amalgams used in metal fillings are prone to expand and contract with temperature fluctuations in your mouth, metal fillings are likely to cause internal damage to teeth as well.
All Fillings Have a Life Expectancy
Metal amalgam fillings are designed to last for about ten years. At that point there’s a good chance that the cement holding it in place is partially dissolved, which can make the filled tooth susceptible to decay from within! If your metal amalgam filling is over ten years old it’s definitely time to replace it!
We use tooth-colored dental
composite for our fillings. Made from a mixture of glass and plastic, dental composite is the newest technology in dental fillings. It’s safer, looks better, and acts more like real tooth. That’s just the beginning of why composite fillings are the best choice!
Eliminate Potential Health Hazards
Metal amalgam is a mixture of different metals with the main component being mercury. While it hasn’t been proven conclusively that mercury in dental fillings is dangerous to your health you still have a right to be concerned
We can remove old amalgam fillings all while protecting you from potential mercury dust or fumes that could be part of removal. After it’s removed we can refill your tooth or we may place a crown, depending on the health of the natural portion.
Composite Fillings Are Easier on Your Teeth
You may not realize it but your teeth are actually slightly flexible. When you chew your teeth bend to distribute forces evenly, but metal amalgam doesn’t bend in the same way as natural teeth. The uneven distribution of force can lead to microfractures in your teeth that put you at risk for cavities and painful sensitivity.
Dental composite is designed to behave just like natural tooth. It bends and flexes along with your teeth to make the distribution of force perfectly natural and safe. Your teeth will be able to do every bit of moving they need to stay healthy and safe!
Replacing Metal Fillings with Composite
Advances in modern dental composite materials and techniques increasingly offer new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. Researchers are continuing their often decades-long work developing esthetic materials, such as porcelain and composite compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. As a result, dentists and patients today have several choices when it comes to selecting materials used to replace metal filling repair, broken teeth or teeth with cavities.
Theadvent of these new materials has not eliminated the usefulness of more traditional dental restoratives, which include gold, metal alloys and dental amalgam know as metal fillings. The strength and durability of traditional dental composite materials continue to make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth.