Cosmetic Tooth Filling
A tooth filling is a type of dental restoration which repairs damage caused by tooth decay and prolongs the life of the tooth. Fillings are a very common dental procedure – as many as 80% of adults end up with at least one filling during their lifetimes, and most people have several.
Dental fillings are used to restore the function, integrity and morphology of a missing part of a tooth crown. They are used when a minor damage is present, usually as a consequence of caries or an external trauma. In a situation when a greater damage is done to a tooth, crowns could be a better, long-term alternative, although they cost more and require a more complicated procedure.
Type of Tooth Filling:
Teeth can be filled with gold and golden-based alloys, porcelain, silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper), or tooth-colored, plastic, and glass materials called composite resin fillings. To summarize, one can have following options:
- Amalgam (silver) fillings
- Composite resin fillings
- Glass ionomer fillings
- Gold filling
Each of these choices has their advantages and disadvantages in terms of:
- Cost
- Appearance
- Strength
- Durability
- Ease of application
Procedure
To treat a tooth with dental caries (tooth decay) in this way, a dentist first drills out all the decayed material and cleans the cavity. They then fill the hole in the tooth with one of a number of filling materials.
Steps for Tooth Filling:
- Checkup
- Anaesthetic
- Removing decay
- Filling
- Shaping and Polishing
Most fillings take between 20 minutes and one hour from start to finish. Dentists can perform two or more fillings in a single visit, provided they are not too complex. Once the filling is complete, the tooth can function as normal for many more years.
Generally, Gold fillings lasts the longest (15+ years) followed by amalgam (10-15 years). Composite resin lasts for around 5-10 years, especially when placed on a biting surface. Glass ionomer is the least durable, up to 5 years, which is why it’s usually only used for temporary fillings and on milk teeth.
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