Fillings
Used to prevent the spread of tooth decay or correct any cosmetic damage, a filling is just one of the ways dentists preserve your health. Before placement, any decay must be drilled out. We offer local anesthesia along with sedation to ensure maximum comfort for our patients. There are two different types of fillings: amalgam (otherwise known as silver fillings) and composite resin, the color of which can be customized to match your natural teeth.
Composite Resin
Since the color of a composite resin filling can be customized, it is the most aesthetically pleasing option. However, it is more expensive and not as strong as an amalgam filling. Composite resin is ideal for repairing chipped or cracked teeth, filling in a tooth gap, correcting dental discoloration, protecting any exposed tooth root from gum recession, or changing the shape of teeth. Patients may also choose composite resin for cavity fillings as they are bonded to the teeth in layers and therefore require less drilling away of the natural tooth.
Amalgam
Made up of silver, copper, mercury, and tin, amalgam fillings are a durable and economical option for patients. They last up to ten years and are less likely to fall out or break. Commonly used for filling in molar cavities, amalgam fillings can withstand biting pressure. Despite the mercury content, these silver fillings are perfectly safe for anyone aged six and up (AS per the American Dental Association and the CDC). That is because the mercury in the material is bound without any extra, by the composition of the material and should not leach into your system once set.
NEVER. THE. LESS. We current do not offer Amalgams any longer in our practice. We also do not make a habit of taking out perfectly good silver fillings unless you expressly ask us to!
A note on all filling procedures…
No matter what the filling material, the technique for placing the restoration as as important as the material itself. Dr Vera will always remove unhealthy tooth structure first, isolate the tooth to prevent saliva, blood and other dirty things from getting in contact with the surface that is being restored, and then disinfect the tooth structure before following the correct protocol to restore the tooth.
Sometimes the cavity preparation is deep or close to the nerve and requires a protective layer at the deepest aspect of the tooth (which is sensitive to the chemicals that we use to bond a composite filling). We employ several different very powerful bioactive materials in these circumstances, to protect the nerve and encourage healing.
By following stringent protocols, we expect longer lasting restorations with less post-operative sensitivity. The few extra steps and moments that we take are paid off in many extra years of functional restorations.
