When a cavity is removed or your tooth is damaged, you may need a filling to repair the tooth. Most people have one or more fillings to replace lost tooth material, but many in the past were metal or silver in color. At Southern Oaks Family Dental Care in Baton Rouge, we offer composite fillings that are white or tooth-colored for a more attractive appearance.
The older silver fillings used for decades were amalgam fillings. These contain different metals, including mercury, and were placed in soft form into drilled out cavities to replace lost tooth material. Though affordable and effective, the metal from the amalgam can change the tooth’s appearance – not only is the filling silver, but the tooth can become grayish over time.
Composite fillings are made from a specialized dental resin that can be color-matched to the tooth. It does not contain metal or mercury, which many people prefer due to reactions to certain metals. For aesthetics, composite fillings are a much better choice and blend in with the tooth to hide the tooth repair.
What is a Composite Resin?
Made from a combination of plastic and ceramic materials, composite resin is a soft putty that can be used for fillings or dental bonding. The material can be used to fill in cavities or to add material to a tooth for cosmetic purposes. The surface of the tooth is etched and prepared to allow the composite resin to adhere. Once molded into place, a special light is used to cure the resin into a hard material, then smoothed and polished with dental tools.
Cosmetic dental bonding and white tooth fillings can be accomplished with composite resin. For many of our patients, composite fillings allow them to repair their teeth while keeping a beautiful white smile.
If you need a cavity filled or dental bonding, composite fillings can offer a tooth-colored option. Southern Oaks Family Dental Care offers tooth-colored fillings for kids, teens and adults at our dental center in Baton Rouge, LA. Contact our practice to schedule your tooth repair, and ask about white fillings for your procedure.
