For many, many years, dentists had only one choice when it came to material for fillings: silver amalgam. And while amalgam was quite strong and durable, it did come with some disadvantages. Although the amount of mercury contained in silver amalgam has never been proven to be harmful to dental patients, some people were concerned about the trace amounts of mercury present in the material. And, after a certain number of years, the silver color of the amalgam would darken, turning almost black in color. Fortunately, dentists today have other choices for filling material. One of those is composite resin. Here are some of the advantages of this modern filling option.
- Composite resin can be made to very closely match the shade of your natural teeth. That means that fillings are much less noticeable than they were with traditional silver amalgam.
- Composite resin doesn’t require as much drilling as other filling materials. And because the resin easily bonds to your natural tooth, it actually strengthens the structure of the tooth, rather than weakening it.
- Composite resin hardens quickly. Most dentists use a special hardening light to shorten the amount of time it takes the resin to harden. As a result, composite resin usually hardens in less than a minute.
- Composite resin may help to reduce tooth sensitivity because it actually helps to insulate the tooth surface.
- Composite resins are an excellent choice to fill cracks and chips in teeth, as well as to repair misshapen teeth. The resin material can be molded and shaped by your dentist to effectively repair minor damage to teeth.
- Composite resin fillings can actually be repaired if they become damaged or start to deteriorate. On the other hand, silver amalgam fillings need to be replaced completely if they’re damaged.
- Composite resin is often an excellent choice to replace old silver amalgam fillings. If you have old fillings that have darkened, or if an old filling is damaged and needs to be replaced, composite resin can be a great choice since it actually strengthens the existing tooth structure rather than further weakening it, which can happen with silver amalgam. Composite resin is also an excellent choice for patients who may be concerned about the level of mercury in their current silver amalgam fillings.
Composite resin is just one example of the many ways in which modern dental technology is providing benefits to today’s dental patients as well as dental professionals. The next time you need a filling, ask your dentist about composite resin.
