Fillings are a traditional and highly effective means of treating cavities which appear within the teeth as a result of decay and wear.
What are tooth coloured fillings?
Porcelain fillings are used for tooth coloured fillings to restore heavily-filled teeth or when a large amount of tooth structure has been lost.
Porcelain fillings are stronger and more durable than composite white fillings. This option is viable for teeth with more than 60% tooth structure loss.
Here at Dental Pearls, our name reflects our treatment ambitions. The ability to restore and repair your teeth after they have suffered from the effects of decay or damage is greatly assisted by the use of tooth coloured filling materials, also called composite fillings.
While numerous patients have undergone filling treatment that has resulted in a mouth full of ugly silver amalgam, the advent of new and more visually-neutral materials has allowed for a greatly improved alternative where restorative treatment is concerned.
In addition to their unsightly nature, amalgam has a reputation for leaking potentially toxic mercury particles, and as such has become an increasingly unpopular option.
Using a form of composite resin, the application of tooth coloured fillings allows for an enhanced level of cosmetic satisfaction. Our filling materials ensure that the health, strength and composition of your tooth are sufficiently restored.
Tooth coloured fillings not only look better than amalgam fillings, they also don’t require as much healthy tooth structure to be removed. With amalgam fillings, healthy tooth structure must be drilled away for the filling to be fitted onto your tooth whereas with composite fillings, no healthy tooth structure is removed.
While tooth coloured fillings are still susceptible to gum disease, trauma, decay and other oral health issues, the fillings are placed to leave no space for decay to form beneath the filling.
Why do we need tooth fillings?
Tooth fillings are needed for patients who have oral damage caused by tooth decay or fracture. Fillings restore the natural appearance of a decayed or previously filled tooth.
Tooth coloured fillings blend into the tooth enamel and are able to bond to the remaining tooth structure.
What happens in a filling procedure?
Your dentist will first determine if you need a tooth filling and will talk to you about your options and how to plan for them.
A local anaesthetic will be administered in the area which requires a filling, to numb the tooth and surrounding structures. The decay will then be removed, most likely with a dental drill, and once the tooth structure that remains is strong and stable, the cavity is disinfected and dried before the filling material is placed.
Your dentist will then shape and cure the filling to strengthen and harden it, followed by testing your bite and ensuring it is comfortable.
Tooth Fillings at Dental Pearl Brisbane
The shape and structure of your tooth can be effectively moulded to assist your natural bite. The nature of the filling material allows for the highest degree of compatibility, both visually and in terms of sensation from within the mouth.
FAQs
Surprisingly, yes! Since it can be nearly impossible to say “no” to sugar altogether, having a strategy may be helpful when it comes to satisfying those cravings. Dark chocolate is a good alternative. Even though it does contain sugar, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate have been known to be good for the heart (in moderation, of course!). Chocolate also melts quickly in your mouth and much of the sugar is washed away by your saliva.
You may have heard stories about how eating toffees can dislodge crowns and fillings. And while you may believe that this is simply an old wives’ tale, it does hold some truth. Soft, sticky treats can adhere to filling material and actually pull it free from the tooth! Remember, filled teeth are more vulnerable than natural teeth. Hard candies are a better alternative, provided that you do not chew them.
Foul breath can have you reaching for a mint, ignorant that this may actually exasperate the problem. Bacteria that cause bad breath feeds off the sugars from these mints and candies releasing acids that could worsen your breath. Not only this, but these acids may also lead to tooth decay. In this sense, ensure that your mints or chewing gum are sugar-free. (for the sake of your teeth and your breath.)
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