Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are a reliable, versatile tooth repair and cosmetic dentistry treatment. At Ingleside Family Dental in Ladson, SC, we offer tooth-colored fillings to address everything from tooth decay to discoloration. The goal with this treatment is to correct problem teeth and beautify smiles at the same time.
Problems Fixed By Tooth-Colored Fillings
Most people associate fillings with cavities, but tooth-colored fillings can repair much more than just tooth decay, including the following dental problems:
- Tooth decay
- Chipped tooth
- Stained or discolored tooth
- Deteriorating tooth
- Cracked tooth
- Gapped teeth
- Misshapen tooth
What’s great about fillings is that they not only fix an existing problem, but their presence helps prevent future problems from developing. The composite material stabilizes, strengthens, and protects the tooth in question as well as neighboring teeth.
Types Of Tooth-Colored Fillings
Your dentist will choose the most effective and practical option for your tooth-colored filling depending on what kind of repair you need done. All fillings are color-matched to your tooth enamel so the restoration blends into your tooth and the rest of your smile. The most common fillings are:
- Composite: Usually employed for small- or medium-sized cavities, this type of filling preserves as much of your natural tooth as possible.
- Porcelain: If you have a large cavity, especially on the chewing surface of the tooth, a porcelain filling is the ideal repair because they are so strong and stain resistant.
- Onlays or inlays: These restorations are used for a tooth that needs more than a basic filling but doesn’t need an entire dental crown. Often referred to as a partial crown, an onlay covers the top of the tooth and at least one cusp while an inlay covers only the top of the tooth.
There was a time when silver fillings were the norm, but this is not the restoration of choice for today’s fillings. The amalgam in silver fillings is toxic and likely to damage a tooth because of expansion, which leeches the mercury contained in the fillings into your system. Many patients who have silver fillings now choose to have them replaced with tooth-colored fillings for appearance and safety.
The Benefits Of Tooth-Colored Fillings
There are many reasons that tooth-colored fillings are chosen to correct a decayed or damaged tooth, including:
- Natural looking: No one needs to know when you’ve had dental work done. A tooth-colored filling is shaded to blend in with your natural tooth enamel and takes care of the dental problem you have without drawing attention to the restoration.
- Protected from other problems: If you have a cavity or other dental problem addressed sooner rather than later, a filling can eliminate the need for more in-depth repairs later. Waiting and hoping that a problem will go away is the route to serious, invasive dental care, but proactive dental care protects you from major dental work.
- Durable: A tooth with a cavity or other problem is weak, but a filling stabilizes it so you can bite, chew, and speak confidently. The composite material bonds to the tooth, delivering support and sealing the tooth from bacteria and other problems.
- Healthy: Tooth-colored fillings do not compromise the tooth’s structure but rather reinforces it. This means your tooth is healthier as a result and far less likely to have complications in the future.
- Long-lasting: When fillings are carefully done, they can last for decades as long as you maintain a quality oral hygiene routine at home and visit your dentist for regular teeth cleanings and checkups.
Get Tooth-Colored Fillings From Your Ladson Dentist
At her family dentistry practice in Ladson, SC, Dr. Mathew treats patients of all ages and gives them tooth-colored fillings when necessary to save, repair, protect, and beautify their teeth. If you have concerns about a tooth, schedule an appointment at Ingleside Family Dental.
