Taking action means removing the dental decay. If caught early enough, further damage to the tooth will be stopped. Your dentist will remove the decay and replace the areas where the cavity damaged the tooth with a restoration, also known as a filling.
A filling is one of the most common treatments scheduled in the dental office and one of the easiest to treat! Appointments for fillings are usually shorter in length, and recovery is quick and straightforward, with little postoperative discomfort. Most patients are able to return to work after the procedure is completed.
A filling material should have properties that include durability, tolerance of the environment in the oral cavity, and safety for use in the mouth. Currently, the most common materials used for fillings are Amalgam (silver fillings) and Composite (tooth-colored fillings).
Amalgam has a long history of use in dentistry. It was developed when a “silver paste” was used to treat dental pain. Amalgam has been noted to be a strong material for filling teeth and easy to apply in the oral environment, where moisture can pose an issue with the success of retaining dental fillings.
Amalgam is composed of several different metals, which, when mixed together, create a soft, pliable mass that is easily manipulated into the tooth needing to be filled. The most common metals used in amalgam are copper, tin, and silver in powder form, mixed with mercury. When combined, they form an easily manipulated, pliable mass that sets to a firm, dense mass in the tooth.
Historically, mercury has had many purposes and has been in use since 4000 BCE, when it was mined in both Italy and Spain. As a mineral, mercury was used in many applications, such as the preservation of human remains, pigmentation, medicine, and art. The singular component of mercury is cinnabar, and it was known even in its early stages of use as a potential hazard related to the toxic vapors and fumes created when heated or combined with other elements.
Today, much research has been conducted about the safety of the use of mercury in dental fillings, offering both health-related perspectives and esthetic concerns regarding the mineral that was once deemed safe for use in the oral cavity. Fortunately for Bonham Sunshine Dental and Implant Center patients, we no longer offer amalgam as an alternative for our patients!
Composite, a tooth-colored material, is the material of choice for our patients in need of a filling. Composite was in its early stages back in the 1960s. It was developed from a particulate mixture of resin, acrylic, ceramic, and zirconium particles that have the qualities to not only simulate the strength of a natural tooth but also offer the appearance of a natural tooth
In contrast to amalgam, composite can be utilized in various dental cases and restorative needs. A composite restoration can offer strength, resilience, brilliance, and uncompromised longevity.
Unlike amalgam, composite is bonded to the tooth structure. Bonding is achieved through a conditioning process that, when done correctly, unifies the tooth to the composite material. It was once believed that composite fillings did not have the same lifespan as amalgam, but with product advancements over time, that is no longer the case.
