If you’ve ever had a bad, rotten tooth, you know how the pain can take over your life. From staying away from foods you love, to the all-day grimacing as pain shoots through your mouth, a cavity can seem like a fate worse than death. That’s why it’s so important to get a filling for any cavity you have. Leaving cavities unfilled can cause further tooth decay, which can spiral into even worse, more painful, more costly, dental problems.

At a fundamental level, a filling rebuilds the structure of your tooth. The dentist will first remove all of the decayed, rotting material from the tooth, to prevent further spread. Then, the filling is slotted into the place of the removed tooth material, to help your tooth retain its integrity. Now that you know a little bit about how and why dental fillings are important, let’s take a look at what kind of fillings are available.

Understanding Your Dental Filling Options

When it comes to choosing the dental filling material to fix your cavity, there are a number of options available, each with their pros and cons. To help navigate this tricky space, we’ve put together this helpful little guide for you.

  • Gold Dental Fillings: For most of the history of dental fillings, gold has been the primary material of choice. It has many advantages that led to it becoming the main dental filling option. First off, gold is extremely strong and durable. This makes it able to withstand years and years of chewing (typically between 10-15), so that you can have your filling set and forget about it. Additionally, many people love the look of a gold tooth, often taking pride in what sits in place of their prior cavity. Gold isn’t all great though. One of the main, most glaring disadvantages is gold’s expense. It can cost up to 10x more than other types of fillings, because obviously, it’s gold. Other problems people have with gold include the additional office visits required to place it, and some just don’t think the gold tooth look is what works for them. 

  • Amalgam Dental Fillings: These dental fillings, rather than being made of gold, are made of a metal alloy, which help them mimic many of the strength and durability positives of gold dental fillings without the same prohibitive expense. The metal base gives these fillings a silver appearance, which some people like and others don’t, so keep that in mind. Amalgam fillings do have some other concerns though. First, some healthy parts of the tooth must be removed to accommodate the amalgam filling. These fillings can also create a gray hue to the surrounding teeth, adding to the appearance concerns that some people have. Amalgam fillings also experience a wider degree of expansion and contraction when drinking hot or cold liquids, which increase the likelihood of cracks or fractures. 

Why To Choose Composite Dental Fillings From Plancich

Bonding or composite resin fillings are the best solution for restoring decayed teeth, combining the best parts of both gold and amalgam fillings with a natural appearance. These fillings can be used to make aesthetic improvements, reshaping teeth, and even change teeth color, along with serving as an excellent filling material. Here at Plancich Dental, we use the latest technology and highest quality materials to restore, sculpt, color, and shape your teeth to a natural and pleasing result. If you or someone you know is in need of a filling, or just a regular checkup and cleaning, give us a call today!