Cosmetic dental treatments in Santa Rosa aim to improve oral aesthetics by enhancing your smile. These treatments help boost your self-esteem and confidence. Among several options available in modern dentistry, composite fillings stand out for their numerous aesthetic and functional merits. They have become a popular alternative to traditional amalgam fillings, allowing dentists to effectively repair mild to moderate cavities while providing durable and long-lasting results.
Let us explore the benefits of composite fillings in detail to determine if they are the right treatment choice.
Explain composite fillings
A composite filling comprises a plastic resin and a powdered glass filler, forming a durable dental material. It is applied to the cleaned and prepared tooth surface, then hardened using a special light-cured adhesive. This process, known as polymerization, results in a solid restoration. Composite fillings repair tooth structures compromised by decay, cracks, or fractures.
Composite fillings are used to restore:
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Teeth with 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)
The merits of composite fillings for oral rejuvenation
You can expect the following benefits offered by composite fillings:
- Are 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 through microblogging and polymerization, thus establishing a stronger seal.
- Do not contain mercury: Mercury is toxic and can harm the body when ingested. Unlike amalgam restorations, composite fillings do not contain mercury.
- Preserve the natural tooth structure: Composite fillings do not require extensive tooth preparation. This preserves most of the tooth structure, integrity, strength, and resilience.
- Easy and quick procedure: Composite fillings are quick and painless procedures that usually take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Are stain-resistant: The resin in composite filling does not stain the teeth, making it stain-resistant.
- Protect from dental caries: Composite fillings contain fluorides that help prevent the development of caries in the future. Fluorides reverse tooth decay by a process called remineralization.
- Excellent durability and strength: The composite material hardens through polymerization, improving composites’ strength and resilience.
Composite fillings, appreciated for their natural look and durability, have become the preferred choice in cosmetic dentistry. Offering numerous merits over traditional silver fillings, they represent modern dental innovations.
