Posted August 27, 2014.

Cosmetic Fillings are tooth-colored and nearly invisible in your mouth.  Are you embarrassed by the gold, silver or dull gray fillings that people see in your mouth when you smile or speak?  If so, you’re not alone and now you can do something about it!  Cosmetic (composite) fillings are specifically designed to match the natural color of your teeth.

Take a look in your mouth and if you see black around the edges of your old silver fillings this signals “leakage”.  Silver fillings expand over time and cause fissures in your tooth structure and the silver filling breaks down (turns black) and allows bacteria to seep below the filling causing new decay.  If this is something you see in your mouth Bull Valley Dentistry can help.

Given the opportunity to make a fully informed choice, our experience is that the vast majority of today’s dental patients will choose the white fillings. There are several reasons for this: In the view of many, the mercury in amalgam is viewed as potentially toxic. (Traditional dentists like to use the term “silver fillings,” but they have more mercury in them than silver.) Also, the feeling is that the white composite represents a more advanced technology. Additionally, composite is more esthetic. For all these reasons, the public is demanding white. And, with today’s technology, composite fillings can easily withstand the stress required to serve in a back tooth.

ADVANTAGES OF WHITE FILLINGS:

• Since they bond to the tooth, composite fillings restore most of the original strength of the tooth. Silver weakens the teeth, making them more susceptible to breaking. Since broken teeth are very expensive to restore, composites can save a lot of expense over the long run.
• Composite fillings restore the natural appearance of the tooth.
• Teeth restored with white fillings are less sensitive to hot and cold than teeth restored with amalgam, if correct techniques are used.
• Composites are mercury-free. Mercury in the fillings is viewed by some as being toxic.
• Composites require less removal of tooth structure. Especially with new cavities, the size of the hole made for the filling can be dramatically smaller with composites

If you are worried about the old Silver fillings in your mouth, please do not hesitate to call Bull Valley Dentistry at 1-815-344-2264.  We are happy to offer Composite (white) fillings to everyone!