Tooth-Colored Fillings – Weatherford, TX
Seamlessly Fill in Cavities and Strengthen Your Smile
The vast majority of people will need a dental filling at some point in their life. Traditional fillings are made out of a material called amalgam, which is a mix of various metals. Although they are quite strong, they come with some serious disadvantages, including the fact that they create dark spots in a patient’s smile. Here at Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we offer tooth-colored fillings in Weatherford. They have the power to stop tooth decay and repair your smile without marring its appearance.
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
At Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, our tooth-colored fillings are made out of composite resin. The resin is composed of a mixture of non-toxic materials, including plastic and tiny bits of glass. The material is very flexible, and it comes in a wide variety of shades. Your dentist in Weatherford can make sure that your fillings are a near-perfect match to the color of the enamel that surrounds them.
Placing these fillings is a fairly simple process. First, we numb the tooth and the surrounding area (if a cavity is not very deep, it may not be necessary to numb the tooth). Then, we remove the decayed area and insert the filling material. A special light hardens the resin. Finally, the dentist adjusts the filling and checks your bite to make sure that your restoration feels completely comfortable. An appointment for placing tooth-colored fillings usually lasts less than an hour.
Advantages of Tooth-Colored Fillings
In addition to looking gorgeous, tooth-colored fillings offer a number of other advantages:
- Placing them requires less removal of healthy dentition than placing an amalgam filling.
- Many patients are concerned about the presence of mercury, a highly toxic substance, in amalgam. Tooth-colored fillings are metal-free and pose almost no risk to your overall health.
- Metal fillings may expand and contract in response to temperature changes, thus increasing the risk of damage to the surrounding tooth. Composite resin fillings do not have this problem.
- Metal fillings may cause permanent stains on the enamel around them, but tooth-colored fillings do not.
Caring for Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are quite durable; you can expect them to last for several years. To prolong their lifespan and help them maintain their original beauty, you should:
- Enjoy dark foods and beverages in moderation. Just like your natural teeth, composite resin fillings can become discolored over time due to excessive exposure to things like coffee, red wine, and black tea.
- Use an alcohol-free mouthwash. Too much exposure to alcohol may soften the fillings.
- Avoid extremely sticky or hard foods. Biting on hard items (like ice) or chewing sticky candy comes with a small risk that you will damage or dislodge or damage a filling.
- Visit us for checkups. When you come to see us for a routine exam every six months, we’ll check to make sure your fillings are still in good shape. They may need repair or replacement from time to time.
Would you like to learn more about tooth-colored fillings? Contact us today to ask questions or to schedule an appointment.