Tooth Colored Fillings (Composite Resins)

A tooth colored filling (also known as a composite resin) "fills" the area that is left in your tooth after the decay has been removed. Because the material used is similar in color to your teeth, it looks natural and virtually undetectable to others. Before composite resins (the tooth colored material used in a filling) the most frequently used material was amalgam (or silver) fillings. As dentistry progressed, other materials that were strong and more aesthetically pleasing were developed such as the composite resin.

Composite resins present several advantages to the patient compared with traditional silver fillings. First, your dentist is able to blend different shades and create shapes so as to match the original teeth nearly perfectly. Second, the tooth-composite bond actually serves to support the remaining tooth structure, preventing breakage and providing insulation against temperature changes. Third, small- to average-sized composites have demonstrated similar duration to

silver fillings. Finally, composite resins do not contain mercury, unlike the amalgam filling. While, the mercury levels in an amalgam filling were deemed safe by the American Dental Association, many people prefer to not have anything in their body that contains mercury.

Resin placement is simple. Depending on the size of the filling and location of the composite, it may require as little as 10 to 20 minutes longer than what is needed for a traditional silver filling. Although some patients notice a bit of post-placement sensitivity, this is temporary. The only caution we usually mention is that coffee, tea and other staining types of foods and beverages may discolor your composites, much as normal tooth structure would stain, unless you ask to have them coated with a clear plastic sealant.

Ask us about tooth colored fillings next time you are in the office or call us today!