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Aesthetic fillings mean the restoration of the original colour and shape of the tooth. A composite resin filling is mixed from different colours to achieve the exact shade and make it 'invisible'. Only a minimal amount of healthy tooth tissue is needed to be removed for preparing the cavity for the filling. |
Composite resin is made of the mixture of plastic and fine glass particles. Aesthetic fillings are made of tooth-coloured composite resin and created to look like natural tooth. Composite resin fillings are strong and durable.
How are composite resin fillings accomplished?
After local anesthesia the dentist removes the decayed portions of the tooth and prepares a cavity for the filling. As the composite resin can be bounded in thin layers, more of the natural tooth tissue can be preserved. If the decayed area is too close to a nerve, a special liner is used to protect it.
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Then a special dental material is used to open up the pores of the dentin and toughen up the surface of the exposed enamel. This creates a stronger bond between the tooth and the filling. Bonding means the application of a tooth-coloured composite resin. The bond resin is used to stick the composite to the tooth. Although this material is made of the same dental resin as the composite it is much more fluid so it is hardened and cured with a very bright light. |
The filling is slowly built up in thin layers. The dentist uses a bright blue light that hardens the soft material before the next one is applied.
After the filling is completed, a special paper called articulating paper is used to adjust the height of the filling and set the bite. Your tooth is then polished.
What is the different between composite resin fillings and amalgam fillings?
Composite resin filling:
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Composite resin fillings are known as tooth filling coloured to look like a natural tooth. They were created as an alternative to traditional metal fillings. There are no known health risks of receiving composite fillings. |
- match the colour of the teeth
- can be completed in one dental visit
- can bond directly to the tooth, making the tooth stronger than it would be with an amalgam filling
- less drilling is involved than with amalgam, the bonding process holds the composite resin in the tooth
Amalgam fillings:
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Amalgam fillings are known as metal fillings. Their safety has been in question for a number of years as they may contain mercury. The absorption of elemental mercury may contribute to several diseases, including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, dementia and arthritis. Amalgam fillings are a mixture of mercury liquid and small pieces of silver and other metals. |
- doesn't match the colour of the teeth
- significant amount of healthy tooth tissue often must be removed to make a space large enough to hold an amalgam filling
- can cause discoloration where the filling meets the tooth
- some people may be allergic to mercury or be concerned about its effects
