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Dental Fillings
Sciota, Pennsylvania
A dental filling is the best way to restore a cavity back to function and aesthetics. If your tooth needs a filling, the first step in the process is to remove the decayed area of the tooth, then the tooth is cleaned, and a filling is placed. The filling forms a near-perfect seal, preventing decay from damaging the tooth’s interior structure, although the tooth is not entirely immune from decay developing on other tooth surfaces. You must still practice good oral hygiene to protect your teeth from decay.
At Chestnuthill Dental, we will meet with you to discuss which filling material is best for teeth. Gold, silver, tooth-colored, and porcelain fillings are available.
Tooth-colored fillings are the most common because they blend with your natural tooth and are not noticeable by others.
Here is a more in-depth look at the different filling types:
Gold – These fillings are custom-made by a dental laboratory and then cemented into the tooth. Gold fillings can be quite costly, which is why patients rarely choose this option, and because gold fillings are quite noticeable. Therefore, we generally do not recommend gold fillings to repair front teeth or teeth that are visible when smiling. However, gold fillings have been known to last more than 20 years.
Silver or amalgam fillings have been in use by dentists for decades. It is likely that if you’re an adult, you probably have one or more already in your back teeth. However, silver fillings tend to leak and cause teeth to crack over time, which often leads to needing a dental crown as the next restorative option to repair the tooth. Additionally, we do not recommend silver fillings because they are noticeable and tend to damage the tooth over time.
Composite or plastic fillings are tooth colored and are bonded directly to your tooth. This means that the material is less likely to leak or fall out like silver fillings are known to do. Additionally, composite fillings are less likely to damage your natural tooth structure and can last up to a decade.
Porcelain fillings are usually referred to as inlays or onlays because they are much larger than traditional fillings, and are lab created, even though they aren’t full dental crowns. The dentist will typically recommend a porcelain inlay or onlay to repair teeth with moderate to severe areas of decay where a filling would not be enough but a crown is too much. Porcelain inlays and onlays are specially designed for your unique tooth and can last many years with proper care and maintenance. Plus, they have similar light-reflecting qualities as natural dental enamel, so you won’t have to worry about anyone noticing your dental work.
Dental Fillings in Sciota, Pennsylvania
Getting dental fillings helps stop the existing decay and prevent additional damage to your tooth. We recommend addressing cavities as soon as they appear instead of waiting until they’ve taken over half or more of your tooth, causing discomfort. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please contact Chestnuthill Dental by calling (570) 402-4001 today.
