Dental Fillings
Enjoy a More Natural Smile with Composite Dental Fillings
Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic health conditions. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent it, and in cases where decay is unavoidable, a dental filling is an affordable, natural-looking, and safe solution. Not only are our fillings at Michael S. Fowler DMD PA some of the most aesthetic restorations available today, but they are strong and long-lasting as well.
Dental Fillings—The Best Solution for Tooth Restoration
At Michael S. Fowler DMD PA, we rely on high-quality materials, latest technology, and advanced techniques to create long lasting restorations for our patients. Our goal is to create results that are designed to be virtually undetectable. We use tooth-colored fillings as restorations when our patients have:
- Tooth decay
- Chipped teeth
- Broken or failing existing restorations
How do I know if I need a filling?
If you are experiencing discomfort in your teeth, you may be a good candidate for a filling. Temperature or sweet sensitivity is often an effective indicator of decay or failure of an existing filling. When you come in for an evaluation, We will recommend the appropriate dental treatment for your situation. We typically recommend fillings as the best solution for restoring teeth that have minor tooth decay, chips or defects.
Dental Fillings—The Process
The procedure for placing a composite resin dental filling is a routine treatment that we do every day at Michael S. Fowler DMD PA. Here’s how it works:
- Deliver needed anesthesia for patient comfort.
- Any dental decay is removed.
- The tooth is prepared to adequately hold a dental filling.
- A disinfectant is applied.
- A protective liner is applied and hardened to prevent sensitivity.
- An etchant is applied for a few seconds and then rinsed off.
- Then a bonding agent is applied and then cured with a blue light.
- Then composite resin is placed to fill the cavity preparation.
- A special blue light is again used to harden each layer of composite resin material.
- After the tooth is completely filled, the composite resin is shaped to resemble a real tooth.
- Finally, the restoration is smoothed and polished to accommodate your bite.
What are composite resin fillings and restorations?
Composite resin fillings are the most common alternative to dental amalgam. They are sometimes called “tooth-colored” or “white” fillings because of their color. Composite resin fillings are made of a type of plastic (an acrylic resin) reinforced with powdered glass filler. Composite resin is often placed in layers to build up the final restoration, then cured with a blue spectrum light. This light energy speeds up the chemical reaction of the components causing the soft material to harden and bond to the tooth. This material is considered safe. The color (shade) of composite resins can be customized to closely match surrounding teeth. This plastic and glass mixture contains no metal and can be shaped to resemble a real tooth. It is usually hard to tell if a tooth has even been filled!
Benefits of Composite Resin Restorations
- Preferred white/natural-looking color
- Better for smaller fillings
- Preservation of more tooth structure
The result of high-quality composite fillings is a beautiful, healthy smile. For more information about our dental fillings, call our office today! Michael S Fowler DMD PA Phone Number (321) 259-8009