Composite fillings are popular restorative cements that are useful for mild to moderate dental cavities. These fillings offer several benefits over traditional amalgam restorations since they are aesthetically superior and strongly bond with the tooth enamel.
Chehalis dentist and their team offer comprehensive composite fillings to rehabilitate your oral cavity and are preferred over other fillings due to the numerous benefits offered by them.
What are composite fillings? And why are they used?
A composite filling is a type of dental material made of a plastic resin and mixed with a powdered glass filler. The filling is placed within the cleaned and prepared tooth surface and hardened by a light-cured special glue. The material hardens through a process called polymerization. These aesthetic fillings help restore tooth structure lost due to caries, cracks, or fractures.
A composite filling is recommended for the following reasons:
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Diastema (space or gaps in between your teeth)
- Dental decay in the visible areas of your mouth
- Teeth that are worn out due to attrition (aging), increased masticatory forces, or bruxism (involuntary, persistent clenching and grinding of the teeth)
What are the significant benefits of a composite filling?
Composite fillings offer the following benefits when used for teeth with mild to moderate dental decay:
Aesthetically superior
Composite fillings are tooth-colored restorations and easily blend with your natural tooth structure, offering superior aesthetics.
Directly bond to the tooth enamel
Composite fillings bond directly to the enamel surface, thus establishing a stronger seal.
Does not contain mercury
Mercury is toxic and can be harmful to the body when ingested.
Composite fillings do not contain mercury, unlike amalgam restorations.
Preserves the tooth structure
Composite fillings do not require extensive tooth preparation. This preserves most of the tooth structure and its overall strength and resilience.
Acts as a shield against dental caries
Composite fillings contain fluorides that help prevent the development of caries in the future.
Are stain-resistant
The resin present in composite filling does not stain the teeth, thereby making it stain-resistant.
Offers excellent durability and strength
The composite material hardens through polymerization, which improves the strength and resilience of composites.
Quick procedure
Composite fillings are quick and painless procedures that usually take 10 to 15 minutes.
Bottom line
Composite fillings are tooth-colored, durable restorations that are increasingly popular among dentists. They offer a cascade of benefits that increase their popularity in dentistry.
