White Fillings

Get a Natural-Looking Solution for Decayed or Damaged Teeth with Tooth-Colored White Fillings

Whether your cavity is causing you pain, or your dentist discovers decay at your regular teeth cleaning, the news of a problem with your tooth enamel is disheartening. What is pleasing, however, is knowing that the repair – a tooth-colored filling – is safe and attractive.

Tooth-colored fillings go by many names, including white fillings, composite fillings, mercury-free fillings, and composite restorations. Whatever title you choose, tooth-colored fillings are strong enough to get the job done while staying under the radar.

What Makes Tooth-Colored Fillings the Safe Choice?

There was a time when amalgam fillings were the go-to repair for decayed or damaged teeth. No longer. Silver fillings are unsightly and quite noticeable, and they take away from an otherwise pleasing and aligned smile. Most importantly, though, silver amalgam fillings are toxic.

Made with mercury, silver fillings can cause serious damage to your health over time. The more amalgam fillings you have in your mouth, the more mercury vapors are being discharged and absorbed into your blood stream. Think about it: Every time you bite or chew, you’re releasing mercury into your system. Not to mention, silver fillings are often responsible for staining your teeth and gums, making them look grey or dark. That can’t be a good thing.

While some people may still promote the strength of silver fillings, these side effects aren’t worth it. Plus, amalgam fillings can cause tooth fractures by expanding, which means you’re going to need future dental repairs anyway.

Mercury-free, tooth-colored fillings have been designed to preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible while supporting your smile, not compromising it. The composite material of which tooth-colored fillings are comprised is kind to your teeth in composition, color, and strength. Tooth-colored fillings are the natural-looking, safe solution.

 

What Problems Do Tooth-Colored White Fillings Correct?

Tooth-colored fillings can solve many oral health problems. Your Plymouth, MI, cosmetic dentist may opt to use a composite filling to:

• Fill and repair a cavity.
• Rebuild a broken tooth.
• Restore a decayed tooth.
• Reshape a disfigured tooth.
• Repair cracked teeth.
• Correct chipped teeth.

The durability of tooth-colored fillings is hard to dispute. Along with working as a corrective solution for a problem tooth, the composite filling also protects the tooth from further disintegration or decay. This repair is also able to protect nearby teeth, which are in jeopardy of developing problems when a neighboring tooth is falling apart. And, of course, with composite fillings, you don’t have to worry about the appearance of your teeth or their stability.

Are You at Risk for Developing Cavities?

No one is immune to developing cavities. You can take incredibly good care of your teeth and be sure to visit your Plymouth, Michigan, dentist every six months, but a cavity could still come your way. Your age and DNA have great impact on your oral health, but there are some other factors that could make you more susceptible to developing cavities, such as:

• Diet Cavities don’t necessarily come from having a sweet tooth. Indulging in dessert after every meal might not be great for your waistline but this habit is less likely to give you a cavity than, say, sucking on hard candy all day long. Frequent snacking or drinking anything but water can be problematic. In fact, any habit that has your mouth constantly bathed in sugars and bacteria – sipping on soda throughout the day, noshing on chips or dried fruit,
  you get the picture – will impact the health of your enamel.
• Overall health. If you are dealing with any sort of temporary or chronic illness for which you are taking medication, this could lead to cavities. Some prescriptions are notorious for causing dry mouth. When there isn’t enough saliva in your mouth to wash away food, plaque, and bacteria, these things will sit on your teeth and eat away at the enamel. You can drink water and chew sugar-free gum with xylitol to try to keep your mouth moist and help increase saliva production. If possible, ask your doctor for a substitute medicine that is less likely to cause dry mouth.
• Emotional and mental well-being. If you are dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, or grief, these intense emotions can have you neglecting your oral health. Whether you don’t have the energy or desire to tend to your teeth, or whether you are simply too overwhelmed to get back out of bed and brush the day from your teeth, these skips in attention to your oral health will ultimately be detrimental and lead to decay.
• Weight loss. If you are on a weight-loss journey, congrats! However, be careful how you go about it, especially if you’re doing hardcore cardio. Refueling your body with energy drinks or thirst quenchers will be good for your body, but it won’t do your teeth any favors. Your mouth will be bathed in acidity and sugar, which is a sure recipe for tooth decay.

Tooth-colored fillings are versatile and attractive. If you need old silver fillings replaced, believe you have a cavity, or are dealing with a problem tooth that needs some repairing, make your appointment with Dr. Shadi Krecht for a consultation.