Metal vs. White Dental Fillings
There are many reasons why it’s important to meet with your dentist twice a year. The most important reason, however, is to identify tooth decay and gum disease as early as possible. Doing so will make sure that they don’t progress and become a more serious dental health problem down the road. We have helped so many patients prevent major dental health problems at our Boston cosmetic dentistry simply through these routine checkups. Never take them for granted.
About Dental Caries
Tooth decay is caused when the bacteria in your mouth consumes food particles and sugars left on your teeth. This created plaque, and if not removed through brushing and flossing, the plaque can eat away at the surface of your tooth, resulting in cavities and tooth decay.
Why You Should Get Cavities Filled
It’s important that you get Boston dental fillings placed to fill your cavities as soon as possible. Not getting cavities filled allows decay to spread. This can weaken a tooth and also lead to discoloration. The tooth decay can spread to the internal structures of the tooth as well, leading to pain and requiring the tooth to be removed. Getting a tooth filled early keeps it healthy.
About Dental Fillings
Dental fillings are dental restorations that are perfect for cavities. These are essentially small restorations that help restore tooth structure and strength once the decayed tooth material is removed. For major tooth decay, cavities will not be an ideal solution. In those cases, dental crowns and other restoration options must be considered.
Why Tooth-Color Fillings are Better Than Metal Fillings
Metal fillings used to be the way to go in the past, but these days we prefer to use tooth-colored fillings to deal with cavities. There are plenty of reasons for this. For one, they obviously look better than metal fillings once in place.
But there are some important dental health considerations we made at our Boston cosmetic and restorative dentistry center that made us side with tooth-colored fillings. For one, tooth-colored fillings require less removal of tooth structure to place than metal fillings. The more natural tooth structure you maintain, the better. Additionally, metal fillings sometimes contained mercury, which is highly toxic. These metal fillings can also change slightly in size given fluctuations in temperature, which can cause damage to the tooth.
As you can see, tooth-colored fillings just make more sense as a choice for good dentistry.
Other Dental Care Options to Consider
As you can see from our many cosmetic and restorative dentistry before and after photos, there are plenty of ways to get a great smile. Tooth-colored fillings are a help, but there are also many other treatment option to consider, such as teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, and dental bonding. We can discuss all of these during your consultation.
Contact Our Boston Practice for More Information
To learn more about advanced dental care treatments and what we can offer you, contact our cosmetic dentistry center in Boston today.
