No one wants to have a tooth that shows obvious signs of damage or decay, and yet that can be precisely what happens even after you have it treated. Out of date “amalgam” or metal fillings make it obvious that the tooth has suffered decay, and can require so much of the tooth to be removed that it is permanently weakened. That is just one of the reasons we are glad to offer tooth colored fillings to our patients in our New Lenox, IL office.
At Atrium Family Dental, patients with tooth damage or decay can enjoy the benefits of composite fillings. After all, unlike old-fashioned fillings made of dark metal, tooth colored fillings require less of the original tooth to be removed, and they can be used as “inlays” or “onlays” that repair the tooth without any further drilling. They are impossible to differentiate from the other teeth, making them both general and cosmetic dentistry solutions.
Some patients also opt to have older metal fillings replaced for cosmetic and functional reasons, since the metal can compress and expand over time, and the tooth colored fillings prove themselves superior here too.
The way that tooth colored fillings work is very simple. Just like any filling, your dentist has to determine how much of the tooth has decayed, remove all of the decay and then fill the tooth to enable you to continue using it. Fillings also stop any further decay and stabilize it. When a tooth has too much decay, it can be fitted with a crown, which is also colored to match the neighboring teeth, but when a tooth is only experiencing mild decay or damage, the composite fillings are an ideal solution.
They are bonded to the tooth material, making them incredibly strong. If it is only the cusps or one part of the tooth, your dentist in our New Lenox office can easily use tooth colored fillings and techniques to make the repair. It takes only a single office visit to have tooth colored fillings placed, and you will be able to leave with a brilliant white and healthy smile!
Contact Us
If you have questions about tooth colored fillings or composite fillings, or wish to discuss more about some of the treatment options listed here, give us a call at our New Lenox, IL office at 815-462-9990. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.