If You Need Dental Fillings, Choose a Variety That Is Best for Your Teeth

If you have cavities on your teeth and are recommended dental fillings, the suggestion may confuse you to wonder which types of dental fillings are best for your teeth. You may decide to research different options available to determine whether porcelain fillings with a lifespan of 15 years or more are an appropriate investment if you want to avoid getting replacements frequently.

The presence of cavities on your teeth may have been detected by the emergency dentist in Knoxville, 37919 when you visit them complaining about a severe toothache. The emergency dentist may have informed you that a cavity is present on your tooth and requires TLC dental care treatment to have it filled and sealed to ensure the hole doesn’t expand.

You develop a cavity because of improper dental hygiene practices and the habit of having sugary and starchy foods frequently. You perhaps left food particles and debris trapped between your teeth to cause tooth decay and cavities eventually. Now that you have a hole in a tooth, you have no options but to have it filled and sealed by a dentist choosing an appropriate filling material.

Which Type of Dental Filling Would You like to Have?

The location of the cavity determines the filling you can have, although you can choose to be different by adopting a non-traditional approach. Dr. Terrie Cribbs can advise you appropriately on the type of dental filling best suited for your requirements. However, if you are determined to be different, the dentist will accommodate your wishes to let you have the kind of fillings you desire.

Dental Filling Materials You Can Choose

The variety of dental filling materials currently available from dentists can confuse you even further make you wonder which type is best for your teeth. Consider some of the following before making a choice.

Cast Gold Fillings

Cast Gold fillings are incredibly durable and last on your teeth for 10 to 15 years or longer without rusting. The fillers can sustain chewing forces and are a choice for you if you think they are more pleasing to the eye than silver amalgam.

If you want to have cast Gold fillings, you must prepare yourselves to spend at least ten times more than the prices of silver amalgam fillings. You also need additional visits to the dentist’s office and must prepare yourself to have metal-colored fillings disliked by many on your teeth.

Silver Amalgam Fillings

Silver amalgam fillings are also incredibly durable and will remain on your teeth for 10 to 15 years. They can withstand chewing forces and are relatively affordable compared to cast Gold fillings and composite fillings.

Silver amalgam fillings are not aesthetically pleasing because they don’t match the color of your natural teeth. Silver amalgam fillings need extensive tooth structure removal to create sufficient space in your tooth to hold the amalgam filling. Most importantly, they are visible whenever you smile and are not recommended on your visible teeth unless you are determined to have them.

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are tooth-colored and enable the dentist to closely match the shade of the filling to your natural teeth’ color. Composite’s are suitable options for use on your front teeth or any visible parts of the teeth. Composite fillings, besides being useful for filling cavities, can also repair chipped and cracked teeth or worn teeth. They don’t require intensive preparation and extensive tooth structure removal isn’t necessary.

However, composite resin fillings are not as durable as cast Gold fillings or silver amalgam. You must prepare yourself to have replacements every five years, spending at least twice the amount you spend on silver amalgam fillings.

Instead of confusing yourself on the choice of dental fillings, you must have it could be helpful if you left the option to your dentist who determines the best filling material for your teeth depending on the location of the cavity and the tooth’s visibility when you smile. Dentists may surprise you by offering alternatives made from glass ionomer if you need to have a hole filled on your front teeth.

Your choices are between an expensive variety that lasts for 10 to 15 years or a filling that looks aesthetically appealing but is not as durable. It would be best to consider all factors when choosing dental fillings to ensure you don’t regret having the restoration in your mouth after placement.