In days past, the preferred material for a dental filling was silver amalgam. Though durable and practical, this option tends to dim a person’s teeth because a metallic filling darkens over time and may become visible through your tooth enamel.
The good news is that dental technology has advanced such that we now may use a high-quality, non-metallic composite resin that looks just like your natural tooth. In addition, this mixture of plastic and glass particles has several advantages beyond appearance.
First, the resins in tooth-colored fillings create a sturdier bond with your tooth so that your filling will remain secure. Second, this material starts in a malleable state, allowing us to conserve more of your natural tooth while not sacrificing a solid bond. Finally, our tooth-colored material won’t react to temperature changes that may impact silver fillings, preventing undue stress over time.
Why You May Need a Dental Filling in Northborough
Most cavities result from tooth decay, caused by the proliferation of bacteria that sticks to your teeth after meals. If you don’t remove these bacteria along with the food debris which nourishes them, then the bacteria grow into a sticky film called plaque. Given time and inadequate at-home oral health care, this plaque-causing bacteria also produces acid that eats into your tooth.
Plaque that goes unremoved accumulates on certain tooth areas, concentrating tooth decay which may create a hole into your underlying tooth. This hole is a cavity, and we treat it with a tooth-colored filling.