White fillings

Composite fillings (white fillings) are made of a “composite” material consisting of a resin-based matrix and an inorganic filler such as silicon dioxide or glass ceramic. The filler material strengthens the composite filling and gives it the translucency that creates the appearance of a natural tooth.

The Advantages of White (tooth colored) Fillings:

• Appearance:
  Composite dental fillings (white fillings) were developed to restore the natural appearance of your tooth. Because composite fillings (white fillings) can be closely matched to natural tooth color, they are ideal for the restoration of a front tooth or any other tooth that can be easily seen when you smile or talk. The improved appearance offered by composite fillings (white fillings) leads many people to replace their amalgam (silver) fillings with composite fillings.
• Versatility:
  Modern resin materials are strong enough to be used as filling material for cavities in any tooth, even a molar. Because composites have a natural appearance, they are excellent choice to close a gap between two teeth or to repair teeth that are chipped, broken, or worn.
• Safety:
  Not only do composite fillings (white fillings) have a more pleasing and a more natural, tooth-like appearance, they are also potentially safer than amalgam fillings (silver fillings) because they do not contain mercury or other metals that may adversely affect the health of the patient. While no study has directly linked the mercury in amalgam (silver) fillings to illness, anecdotal evidence suggests that using mercury as a component of dental fillings may create an unnecessary health risk.
•  Less Sensitivity:
  Because the material used for composite dental fillings (white fillings) is a poor conductor of heat and cold, teeth restored with composite fillings (white fillings) are not as sensitive to hot and cold as teeth restored with amalgam (silver) fillings. Further, composite fillings can eliminate the metal taste that patients with metal sensitivities commonly experience with amalgam (silver) fillings.

•  Less tooth structure is removed:
  Because the size of the hole needed for a composite filling (white filling) is smaller, composite fillings (white fillings) require less drilling of healthy tooth structure than amalgam (silver) fillings. This preserves the strength of the tooth and lessens the chance that a more expensive crown will be needed to save the tooth in the future.
• Composite resin strengthens tooth:
  The material in composite fillings (white fillings) forms a powerful chemical bond to the remaining tooth that both strengthens the tooth and creates a strong seal to keep out decay causing bacteria.