Tooth Colored Restorations
In the past, mercury-based silver fillings were the best option to restore a tooth in need of repair. However, with recent advances in dental materials, composite resin tooth colored fillings are now an ideal choice to restore an unhealthy tooth.
Composite fillings not only look more natural than metal fillings, but they are also better for the health of your teeth.
Why Do I Need a Filling?
Once a tooth is broken or has decayed, it can never grow back or heal itself on its own.
Tooth decay is caused by the bacteria found in plaque eating away at the outer layer of your teeth (the enamel). Although sugar causes decay to accelerate, did you know that everything you eat or drink contributes to decay? The best defense to the buildup of such bacteria in your mouth is saliva, but unfortunately, it can only do so much.
Broken or cracked teeth are more susceptible to decay, as the damaged enamel is no longer able to protect the interior of the tooth. If a broken tooth is not repaired or if decay is not removed in a timely manner, the cavity will keep growing and may reach the nerve of the tooth. This may ultimately create a need for root canal therapy or even an extraction of the tooth in severe cases.
Decay or "Cavities" are Not Always Visible to the Naked Eye
If you get a cavity, it is important to stop the decay as early as possible.
Sometimes the cavity is easy to see right on the surface, and you may notice a dark spot on your tooth. Many times though, the decay occurs under the surface and cannot be seen by the naked eye. This is why x-rays are needed to detect the decay that cannot be seen otherwise.
Omaha dentist Dr. Amber Allen is here to help you detect these issues before they become a problem and cause more damage to your oral health and your smile.
Things to Consider about Silver Fillings:
- Silver metal fillings are actually absorbed and can potentially stain teeth and gums.
- Since they are metal, they expand and contract. Over time, this can cause cracks in teeth or fractures in the filling itself, which can allow decay to occur in these areas.
- While there have been no studies proving that mercury-based fillings are a direct threat to a person’s health, is it really worth the possible risk? Especially when there are now better alternatives?
- Using composite material requires less healthy tooth structure to be removed during preparation for a filling, which preserves more of your natural tooth structure.
Contact Dr. Allen to learn more about tooth-colored restorations and how they can benefit you.
Meet Dr. Allen:
Amber Allen DDS
Dr. Amber Allen would like to welcome you to our Omaha, NE practice! We strive to provide you with a personalized experience unlike you've had before, while delivering the highest quality dentistry using the finest materials and state-of-the-art-technology. You will notice right away that she spends a lot of time getting to know each patient, and this is so she can understand their specific needs and goals for their smile. We know you'll appreciate the differences you notice at our practice and you'll feel right at home each time you visit.
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Featured Blog Posts - Tooth Colored Restorations
Blog Welcome and Silver Mercury Fillings
Welcome to our first blog post! We thought it would be a fun way to chat a little about the things we encounter, study and think about every day in relation to not just teeth, but "bites", jaws, muscles, airways and whole bodies.
One thing we deal with daily is silver mercury fillings. This material had its time, as an alternative to losing teeth to dental caries (decay), but thank goodness we have alternatives now. Not only is it not pretty to look at, but silver filling material is ...