Top 5 Benefits Of Composite White Fillings

If you are in need of a filling, the options have never been better. Patients can now opt for composite white fillings, a more aesthetic, durable and versatile version of traditional amalgam fillings. Below, we explore why composite white fillings are increasingly popular. 

Aesthetics

The most obvious reason why composite white fillings are championed is because of their aesthetic qualities – they are created to resemble the patient’s teeth and the emergence of new technology now allows us to blend colours even more effectively here at Smile Up. Your friends and family may not even notice you have had a filling!

Added support

White fillings support teeth that have been weakened by decay and strengthen crooked teeth too. Composite fillings require a very small amount of tooth matter to be removed for placement, which means much of your natural tooth is preserved.

Expansion and contraction

Amalgam fillings are more susceptible to thermal stresses – this is when temperature affects the filling in ways such as displacing it when you eat particularly hot or cold foods, leading to cracking and weakening. As white fillings contain insulating properties, they protect your tooth much more effectively, flexing 26 times less than their amalgam counterparts – your natural tissues in the vicinity are also better protected.

Durable

Initially, composite white fillings were not considered to be strong enough to support the back teeth because of the constant pressures of chewing and grinding exerting too much force for them to handle. However, advancements in dentistry have paved the way for a stronger version of the early composite white filling models and they can now be placed anywhere in the mouth.

Versatile

White fillings have a whole variety of uses including:

• Fillings: on any tooth in the mouth.
• Veneers: direct placement on the tooth in order to improve shape or shade.
• Small teeth: white filings can amend a tooth so that it matches the size of neighbouring teeth.
• Broken teeth: chips, cracks and damage to the surface of teeth can be remedied.
• Tooth wear: restoring damage that has occurred as a result of grinding and erosion.
• Replace silver fillings: white fillings can offer a modern, aesthetic replacement.
• Post-root canal: white fillings can be used to seal a tooth if a large amount of tooth remains.

What to expect from the procedure?  

Your dentist here at Smile Up will perform a deep clean of your mouth and may suggest pain relief before carrying this out. The tooth is then prepared and the filling material gradually applied to the tooth and carefully reshaped until it looks as close to the original as possible.