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The Benefits Of Tooth Colored Fillings

The Benefits Of Tooth Colored Fillings

Tooth Colored Filling SmileTooth-colored fillings offer a few advantages that old-fashioned silver amalgam fillings can't provide. Jackson Heights, NY, general dentists Dr. Hassan Alamzad and Dr. Rihito Matsui help you keep your smile healthy with tooth-colored fillings, cleanings and other dental services.

What are tooth-colored fillings?

Tooth-colored fillings are made of composite resin, a flexible material made of powdered glass and plastic. Although composite resin is soft when it's first applied to your tooth, it quickly hardens when your Jackson Heights dentist exposes it to a curing light. Although you can eat anything you want immediately after receiving a tooth-colored filling, it's best to wait until the local anesthetic wears off to avoid accidentally biting your lips or tongue.

What benefits do the fillings offer?

Silver amalgam fillings aren't exactly subtle. Every time you open your mouth, your dental work is on display. Tooth-colored fillings are designed to blend in with your teeth, not call attention to your fillings. Before your tooth is filled, your dentist will choose a shade of composite resin that most closely matches the color of your tooth enamel. Other benefits of tooth-colored fillings include:

  • Stronger Teeth: Although removing the decayed part of your tooth is necessary to prevent the decay from worsening or spreading to the other teeth, the process can weaken the structure of your tooth. Unfortunately, weak teeth are more likely to crack or fracture. Tooth-colored fillings only require removal of a small margin of healthy structure around the decayed portion, unlike silver amalgam fillings. Limiting the margin helps keep teeth stronger and reduces the risk of a crack or break.
  • No Reaction to Temperature Changes: Every time you eat or drink a hot or cold beverage or food, your silver amalgam fillings react by contracting or expanding slightly. Due to these constant changes, your tooth or the filling itself may eventually crack. If this happens, you may develop a cavity under the filling or might even experience an infection in your tooth pulp. Your tooth-colored filling never changes, no matter what you eat or drink, which helps keep your tooth stronger and healthier.

Improve your oral health and your appearance with a tooth-colored filling. Call Jackson Heights, NY, general dentist Dr. Hassan Alamzad and Dr. Rihito Matsui today.