Different Types of Dental Fillings and Who Requires Them

What is Dental Filling?

A dental filling is a dental restoration method for repairing and restoring teeth. Dental fillings are used on decayed, broken, chipped, fractured, or worn down teeth. The fillings material is bonded to the tooth by the dentist near you. It fills a cavity, strengthens the tooth, and covers the damage. When used on cavities, the decay is first removed, and then the fillings are fixed on the hole.

Indirect and Temporary Fillings

The dentist in McKinney may place indirect fillings on your tooth. These are used when the remaining tooth structure is inadequate to support a direct filling. An indirect filling is made in a dental laboratory using impressions of your tooth. Inlays are types of indirect fillings cemented within the cusps of the chewing surface of a tooth. Onlays cover one or more cusps. Your dentist may also place temporary fillings on your tooth. These fillings are used for a short while as the permanent ones are being prepared. They also allow the tooth nerves to heal after a root canal. Patients who require indirect fillings will have a temporary filling placed first.

Types of Dental Fillings

The dentist will help you choose the perfect filling for your tooth based on aesthetics, severity, and location of the cavity. Other factors such as your current dental health, time, and cost of treatment will determine the type of fillings used. Types of dental fillings include:

1. Amalgam fillings

Amalgam dental fillings consist of silver, mercury, tin, and copper. Their strength allows them to fill up cavities in molars which do the most chewing. They are durable. With proper maintenance, amalgam fillings can last up to 15 years. Amalgam fillings may not be suitable for front teeth as their silver color stands out compared to the natural teeth.

2. Composite Resin fillings

These are tooth-colored fillings made from powdered glass quartz, silica or ceramic particles, and a resin base. They are versatile therefore suitable for restoring chipped, worn out, or broken teeth. Composite fillings repair small or medium-sized cavities in the canines or premolars. In addition, they offer teeth adequate support due to the process which fuses them with the enamel.

3. Porcelain fillings

Porcelain fillings are tooth-colored fillings made of durable porcelain material. They are suitable for patients who want a natural look since they can resemble nearby teeth in color. The porcelain material is also stain and abrasion-resistant. They are used to fill large cavities as inlays and Onlays and can last for more than 15 years.

4. Glass Ionomer Fillings

They consist of a combination of acrylic and glass. Glass ionomer fillings are perfect for filling cavities found under the gum line. In addition, dentists recommend ionomer fillings for severely decayed teeth. They release fluoride into the treated tooth and protect it from more decay. They can be used on front teeth due to their tooth-colored nature. These fillings last for five years or less.

5. Gold fillings

They are considered the best type of dental fillings since they are strong and durable. They are a combination of alloys of gold, copper, and other metals. You can decide to have gold fillings on front teeth for aesthetic reasons. They are also suitable for posterior teeth due to their ability to withstand chewing forces. They are a type of indirect fillings that requires time to place.

Signs You Need Dental Fillings

Here are some signs that you need dental fillings in McKinney:

• Patients who have had fillings but are broken or lost will require another filling.
• If you experience a toothache, it may be a sign that you have a tooth cavity. Dental fillings treatment will repair the tooth and stop the pain.
• Fractured teeth are a sign that you need dental fillings. The composite filling material can be used to repair a fractured tooth and prevent further damage.
• The appearance of craze lines on tooth enamel indicates that you need a dental filling. Craze lines are vertical lines in tooth enamel caused by placing stress on the tooth. They are covered using tooth-colored fillings.
• When your teeth are worn down, they need a filling to restore the worn-down surfaces and repair the teeth.
• When dark spots appear on the tooth, it signals that you need a filling.
• A hole in the tooth, a chipped or broken tooth all show that you need a filling.

Our dentist in McKinney and the dental team at Arte Dental-McKinney provide several dental fillings options. Contact us for dental fillings and other oral health services for your entire family.