Dentists used to treat dental caries with the previous generations of fillings such as gold, amalgam or another material that was visible when patients smiled. Nowadays, there are filings that are made of porcelain or another composite material that is a perfect match to natural teeth of the patient. This is by far the simplest cosmetic procedure that is at the same time one of the most common cosmetic dental treatments. During the procedure, the dentist removes the old amalgam or gold fillings and places a new tooth-coloured ones. Tooth decay is also treated with this new generation fillings. In most of the cases, the dental professional uses the tooth-coloured fillings not only because of the great aesthetics but they can better at protecting your teeth and last longer. The procedure is simple and the best results are achieved only if the dentist has removed the problematic caries. Later, a bonding material is utilised in order to bond the filling to the tooth. Most composite and nano-composite fillings get hardened by a special blue light. This usage of this light depends on the manufacturer of the filling but in most cases it needs twenty to thirty seconds of blue light to harden the composite material.
The best technique is to apply the filling using multiple layers. This means that each layer should be brighter than the previous. This procedure also hardens the material and makes it more durable and resistant to damage. When the filling is placed, the dental professional will use different burs and brushes to finish and also polish the tooth.
The advantages of composite fillings are:
- They look more aesthetically than the silver ones
- They require a minimally invasive procedure so less drilling is needed
- They are getting hard for a few seconds not many days like the other ones
- Composite fillings can be repaired if they are damaged
The disadvantages of these filings are:
- Patients may feel some tooth sensitivity when the procedure is happening
- These fillings may stain if they are exposed to coffee, tea or red wine
- They have a bigger price than silver filings