While amalgam fillings can still be used at times, composite fillings have become more and more popular over the past several years. Composite fillings are the same color as your teeth and in the last decade, technology has created stronger resin compounds so that composite fillings can be used in posterior teeth. These types of fillings have been used for decades in cosmetic dentistry on anterior teeth and the facial portion of teeth visible in your smile. Composite fillings are aesthetically preferred because they blend in so well with natural tooth color and are finished to a smooth, slick surface much like the natural tooth.
Composite vs Amalgam for Posterior Teeth
The fact that composite material resembles the natural tooth so closely makes it desirable as a filling substance. With composite fillings no one can really tell that you have fillings. For this reason many people ask about removing amalgam or silver fillings in back teeth and putting composite instead. Dr. Linger believes that amalgam filings are still good restorations and does not replace amalgam filings that are in good shape unless a patient specifically requests that the fillings be removed for cosmetic reasons.
For anterior teeth and surfaces visible when smiling, resin composite fillings are clearly the preferred option. Composite can also used for correcting malformed teeth, restoring chipped teeth and sometimes as a way to color a tooth. Composite material bonds directly to the tooth restoring the integrity of the tooth. This bonding also means that there is no unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure in order to place the filling.
Contact our practice today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Linger about composite restorations for issues you may have with your teeth.