The Merits of Composite Fillings for Dental Restorations

Composite fillings are versatile dental fillings that help restore mild to moderate tooth cavities, especially in visible areas like the anterior teeth. Composite fillings offered by the cosmetic dentist Scottsdale have been trending over the past decades due to their superior aesthetics and ease of handling the material for restoring teeth. They have successfully replaced traditional amalgam restorations, offering long-lasting, and durable outcomes.

Let us explore composite fillings, and their merits in detail. 

An introduction to composite fillings 

A composite filling comprises a blend of plastic resin and powdered glass filler, utilized in dentistry to restore decayed, cracked, or fractured tooth surfaces. After being placed onto the cleaned and prepared tooth surface, it hardens through a process called polymerization, facilitated by a specialized curing light. These fillings serve both functional and aesthetic purposes, aiding in the restoration of lost tooth structure.

Uses:

  • Chipped, cracked, or broken teeth
  • Teeth with diastema (space or gaps in between your teeth)
  • Dental decay in the visible areas of your mouth
  • Teeth that are worn out due to attrition (aging), increased masticatory forces, or bruxism (involuntary, persistent clenching and grinding of the teeth)

Unwinding the merits of composite fillings 

Composite fillings are often preferred by dentists worldwide due to the following benefits: 

They are aesthetically superior: Composite fillings are tooth-colored restorations and easily blend with your natural tooth structure offering superior aesthetics.

Composites directly bond to the tooth enamel: Composite fillings bond directly to the enamel surface through microblogging and polymerization, thus establishing a firm seal. 

Composites do not contain mercury: Mercury is toxic and can harm the body when ingested. Unlike amalgam restorations, composite fillings do not contain mercury.

Composite restoration is a quick procedure: Composite fillings are quick and painless procedures that usually take 10 to 15 minutes. 

They preserve the natural tooth structure: Composite fillings do not require extensive tooth preparation. This preserves most of the tooth structure, integrity, strength, and resilience. 

They effectively protect from dental caries: Composite fillings contain fluorides that help prevent the development of caries in the future. Fluorides reverse tooth decay by a process called remineralization.

They are stain-resistant: The resin in composite filling does not stain the teeth, making it stain-resistant.

They offer excellent durability and strength: The composite material hardens through polymerization, improving composites’ strength and resilience.  

Wrapping up 

Tooth-colored composite fillings are resilient and increasingly favored in modern dentistry, replacing traditional amalgam restorations due to a cascade of advantages. Consider these aesthetic fillings to revive and rejuvenate your oral health. Seek advice from your dentist to determine if composite fillings align with your oral needs!