Dr. Ravi Aravind
KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum
Dental, Clinical, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
How are Tooth-Colored Fillings Better Than Metal?
Dr. Ravi Aravind
KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum
Dental, Clinical, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
How are Tooth-Colored Fillings Better Than Metal?
Metal tooth filling was the talk of the town a decade or so ago. Even today tooth filling is something that is considered important. But the difference is that metal filling has been replaced majorly by tooth-colored fillings.
Quite obvious, if you are getting something that can match up with the color of your tooth; you will not prefer to have something made up of metal.
Reasons to have a tooth filling done
Before dissecting the varieties of tooth filling and selecting the one that is great, it is important to understand the reason for getting the tooth filling done.
Tooth decay is a common problem that may have happened to almost everyone once in a lifetime. This happens when harmful bacteria attack the tooth and release acid that slowly destroys the tooth enamel, causing a hole in the tooth.
This hole or cavity can increase even more with exposure to food items that are rich in sugar or acid. Hence, it becomes important to treat it at the earliest in order to stay protected from infection or if you do not wish to lose your tooth.
How do you know about tooth decay?
It is always advised to visit the dentist at least twice in a year to stay away from any kind of dental trouble. But most people do not follow this regime.
Tooth decay can be identified through a number of symptoms such as:
a. A sensitive feel when drinking or eating something hot or cold b. A pain while taking a bite c. Black spot or an obvious hole visible in the tooth
If such symptoms are noticed, it is advisable not to ignore them and visit the dentist at the earliest.
The tooth-filling process
The tooth filling process undergoes a number of steps and this may take up 2-3 sittings with the dentist, depending upon the condition of the tooth decay.
a. First, the dentist takes an X-ray of the tooth that has decayed. b. Now, the procedure starts with anesthesia that is injected in the gums. c. The decayed portion of the tooth is removed carefully. d. After the area is clean, the tooth is restored using the filling.
Though the procedure is the same for all types of fillings, a tooth-colored filling may consume some more time. This is important because the decayed area is cleaned carefully and an adhesive is applied to keep it away from saliva for sometime before the filling is done.
The tooth-colored filling
When the tooth-colored fillings are considered, there are different options available such as the composite resins that are perfect for small or mediocre decays. This is the most common filling that is being used for restoring a decayed tooth.
Apart from the composite resins, there are also other types of tooth-colored fillings available such as composite inlays and also porcelain restoration.
The selection of the right filling depends on a number of factors such as the cost of the filling, the time taken in the process and others. But whatever it is, most of the people today prefer to have tooth restoration done in natural-colored materials. The only thing to remember is that at times you may have to get a periodic replacement of the filling (as per The Journal of the American Dental Association). Regular dental checkups, on the other hand, will always help in keeping the problem at bay.
Benefits of getting a tooth-colored filling
The million-dollar question that arises is why people prefer tooth-colored filling more than the metal filling today.
There are a number of reasons available today that make the tooth-colored filling beneficial. (Source: Mouth Healthy)
a. One of the most common and worth noticing benefits is higher confidence. The tooth-colored filling not only treats the decay but also hides the fact that the tooth has decayed. This boosts up the confidence of the patient no doubt as it is aesthetically pleasing to look at.
b. The metal expands and contracts when it gets in touch with temperature. Hence, there have been a number of instances where the restored tooth has developed a crack due to the expanding or contracting of the silver filling. The same problem is not there in case of the while-colored filling. The filling is not affected by the food the person is eating and stays intact without harming the tooth.
c. Another crucial point is the dental strength. For restoring the tooth through the natural filling process, only the decayed portion is removed. On the other hand other for metal filling, also a portion of the healthy tooth enamel is removed. The tooth-colored filling develops a good bond with the tooth and hence it offers a good strength to the tooth.
Conclusion
The tooth-colored filling has almost swept away the need for metal filling today. With its amazing benefits such as restoring the tooth in a healthy way has made it a favorite of not only the patients but also the dentists today.
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