Dental Implants versus Dentures: Making an Informed Choice

While there are different types of fillings that fill cavities in your teeth, some types are better suited for certain conditions. You should speak to your dentist for advice on the type of material that will best suit your needs, taking into account both your current dental health and budget. You can always speak to them about it during your next dental examination. For now, here are some of the different dental filling options for you to consider.

Amalgam fillings

These silver-coloured fillings are a combination of metals that include silver alloy, mercury, copper, and tin. The material is hard-wearing and long-lasting and has been used for fillings for many years. It's cost-effective and can last some people a long time.

Composite fillings

While these fillings are certainly strong, if you want a hard-wearing filling, amalgam is a better option. The tooth-coloured fillings are made out of ceramic particles, such as silica or powder glass quartz. Once the tooth has been prepared, the composite filling is linked to the area. The dentist decides on a shade that matches your teeth, although it's possible that staining will occur over time.

Glass ionomer fillings

Glass ionomer fillings create a chemical bond with your tooth. As these fillings are fairly weak, they're typically limited to 'non-biting' surfaces and baby teeth. As the glass filling links to your tooth directly, there's little preparation needed.

Gold inlays and onlays

These fillings can be applied to most surfaces of your mouth. The small filling is placed within your tooth's biting surface. An onlay, on the other hand, can cover a greater area. As gold is the hardest-wearing and longest-lasting material for fillings, you can expect it to last for a long time. It also won't tarnish and is tremendously strong.

Porcelain inlays

There's a dental technology that exists called CAD/CAM. This allows your dentist to design perfectly fitted inlays in only a visit or two. The material can be long-lasting and hard-wearing. You can also have it in the same colour as your natural teeth.

Again, the best person to advise you regarding the type of dental filling material to use is your dentist. So if you have any questions about any of the above or anything else, get in touch to make a general dentistry appointment today. Regardless of whether or not you feel a dental filling is needed, it's important to visit your dentist every six months.

Reach out to a local dentist to learn more about dental fillings.