A woman pointing at her smile. If you’re experiencing tooth sensitivity or pain because of tooth decay, you’ve probably heard at your last dental visit that fillings would be necessary. However, you don’t need to settle for the silver fillings that you’re probably already familiar with. Instead, tooth-colored fillings from our Cocoa Beach, FL dentist can restore your smile’s appearance just as well as its function! No more dealing with silver sheens or inferior restorative options for damaged teeth.
To start protecting your teeth, contact our dental office to schedule an appointment. Dr. Gary C. Nawrocki is more than happy to get your smile looking beautiful and prevent fewer instances of annoying tooth sensitivity!
What are Tooth-Colored Fillings Made From?
Just like dental bonding, which works to repair teeth with cosmetic chips or cracks, tooth-colored fillings make use of composite resin. This high-quality material is made up of a combination of glass and plastic, allowing it to be perfectly blended to the same shade as your natural teeth. Once this material is bonded into place, you won’t even be able to tell the difference between your natural teeth and the material!
Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings vs. Amalgam Fillings
Thanks to additional research on the properties of composite resin, we now know that we don’t need to resort to silver fillings just to obtain the most effective fillings possible. In fact, there are many added benefits of using composite resin other than aesthetic reasons.
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Composite resin allows the dentist to maintain more of the tooth’s natural structure. Amalgam fillings typically require removing enamel in order to place, therefore forcing us to sacrifice enamel just to save the entire tooth. Tooth-colored fillings create a stronger bond and don’t require buffing down enamel to create a wedge and stay in place.
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Amalgam often causes tooth sensitivity due to the metal alloys it uses. Therefore, composite resin is ideal for those with metal allergies.
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Amalgam is more likely to expand over time, therefore split teeth more and cause damage in the long-term. Composite resin acts as a better seal than amalgam, therefore preventing this problem.
How Are Tooth-Colored Fillings Placed?
Because of their simplicity, tooth-colored fillings only take a single visit to place and very little preparation to do so. Once the area surrounding the tooth in question is properly numbed and all decay is removed, Dr. Nawrocki will clean the tooth and place the resin within it. After being sculpted into shape and polished, the area is hardened with a curing light.
Caring For Your Dental Fillings
In the beginning, your tooth will feel some minor sensitivity to hot and cold. Eventually, this sensitivity should go away, and you can resume your daily activities, including:
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Brushing twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste
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Flossing daily
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Scheduling biannual dental visits
Some patients may need to use waxed or monofilament floss in order to prevent it from snagging on their restored teeth. Make sure to always use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid prematurely wearing down enamel.
Are you ready to experience the better restorative solution through fillings? Schedule an appointment with our dentist in Cocoa Beach today!
