subject: Composite Restorations A Filling That Looks Like Your Natural Tooth! [print this page] Composite Restorations A Filling That Looks Like Your Natural Tooth!
No one looks forward to having a filling. They are usually so ugly, making your smile look dark and old, and they are uncomfortable too!
Amalgams or metal fillings have several disadvantages. That metal in your tooth can cause all kinds of sensitivity, even leading to a tooth cracking or breaking during temperature changes in the mouth. How does that happen?
Metal expands and contracts with hot, cold and biting. That means that your teeth are being weakened with every hot or cold beverage and every meal. Over time your tooth becomes susceptible to fracturing. Amalgam also contains mercury, which is a toxic element. The literature is very unclear about the amount of mercury that is released from amalgams and the long-term effects on the body.
Composite restorations, when placed by a trained cosmetic dentist such as Dr. Emil Villaroman at Modesto Smiles, come remarkably close to restoring the tooth to its original strength in the most conservative fashion. Composites are a very hard "plastic" that bonds to the tooth to hold the tooth together.
A composite "white" filling is usually used for smaller fillings and restorations. They are conservative, cost effective, attractive, healthy and can be completed in just one office visit. We will simply numb the area, then prepare the tooth for restoration, removing any decay. Dr. Villaroman will then artfully mix the composite resin, making sure it matches the shading of your natural teeth, and fill the cavity. When the composite resin is dry, it will be smoothed and shaped for fit and comfort.
For larger cavities, we use inlays and onlays. Made of porcelain or resin, they are tooth-colored and almost completely invisible in the tooth.More importantly, an inlay or onlay is a much more conservative restoration than a metal filling. While traditional fillings can reduce tooth strength up to 50%, inlays and onlays can actually increase tooth strength by up to 75%, and last from 10 to 30 years.
Whatever your restorative needs are, Dr. Emil Villaroman has a healthy, beautiful solution to keep your smile as bright and beautiful as nature intended.
For more information about tooth colored or composite fillings, call Modesto Smiles at (209) 338-3388, or visit www.modestosmiles.com.
