Dental Procedure Pain: Get the Facts

What Kind Of Material Is Used To Fill A Cavity?

Has a trip to the dentist ended in being told that you happen to have a cavity? If so, you may be wondering what kind of material will be put into the tooth in order to fill it. There are a few different materials that dentists can use, with each one having its own advantages. Here are what your options will be.

Natural Material

Sometimes there is a need for the cavity filling to fit seamlessly into the tooth so that nobody notices it. This is more common when a cavity is on the front surface of a tooth, but it can also be used in rear molars was well if you do not want it to look like your mouth is filled with metal material. Your dentist can achieve this look with a composite filling that uses a natural-looking resin.

While this type of natural tooth filling looks great, you may notice down the road that the material lacks the strength of a metal filling. The filling may break down prematurely, requiring that you replace the filling with new material.

Silver Material

If you're on a budget and need to get a dental filling, silver material is going to be the cheapest way to get the job done. However, cheap does not always mean that the material is weak, since silver is quite the opposite. It will have no problems withstanding the force put on the filling when you are chewing food. This is because silver fillings are made by combining metals like copper, silver, and tin.

The biggest drawback to a silver filling is its appearance. It doesn't look natural at all, and others can spot silver fillings when you are talking to them. If you have a lot of cavities, the look of all that metal may simply be too much. While silver fillings can be drilled out later and replaced with a better looking material, it is a process that you may not want to go through.

Gold Material

Many dental patients want gold filling because the strength of the filling material. It will be stronger than using a silver filling, with the added benefits of gold not tarnishing or corroding over the years.

Gold shares the odd appearance that silver filling have, but that can be fixed if your concern is having a strong tooth. Consider having a gold filling covered with a natural looking crown, so the tooth has protection for as long as possible.


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