Cosmetic Fillings

What are cosmetic or composite fillings?

Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling.

What are they advantageous over of amalgam fillings?

Cosmetic fillings are sometimes referred to as tooth colored fillings, and are an alternative to traditional amalgam fillings or “silver fillings”. Composite fillings require less tooth structure removal when the dentist prepares the tooth. This is due to the fact that they are bonded or adhesively held in a cavity. This may result in a smaller filling than a traditional amalgam filling. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small and midsize restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. They are white and are matched to the shade of your tooth, and thus are less noticeable than amalgam fillings, and this will improve the appearance of your smile.

Amalgam fillings may have some short term sensitivity to hot or cold after the filling is placed. The silver-colored filling is not as natural looking as one that is tooth colored, especially when the restoration is near the front of the mouth and shows when the patient laughs or speaks. And to prepare the tooth, the dentist may need to remove more tooth structure to accommodate an amalgam filling than for other types of fillings.