If you have a tooth that needs a dental filling, our dentist might recommend a composite filling. These tooth-colored fillings look like your natural teeth which make them ideal for the visible teeth in your smile.
Composite resin, which is a glass or quartz filler mixed with resin, can be used to fill cavities or for bonding to your front teeth. This mixture of plastic and glass has no metal in it and because it is shaped to look like a natural tooth, is virtually invisible.
To fill your tooth with a composite filling, your dentist will do the following:
First, the tooth will be isolated to keep saliva away from the area. Next, the infected segments of the tooth (the decay) will be removed. The resin will be layered to cover the opening. Using a special curing light, the resin will be hardened in between each layer. Once the filling is done, the resin will be shaped to look like a natural tooth.
Of course, aesthetics aren’t the only reason a composite filling might be recommended. Unlike amalgam fillings, composite resin can be used to fill in the tooth without removing excessive areas of the tooth, which maintains the tooth structure. Since the resin is bonded to the tooth, it handles the chewing pressure very well and doesn’t expand and contract to temperature extremes like amalgam fillings.
If you have a small to medium sized cavity that needs repairing, a composite filling might be just right. You can schedule an evaluation with our dentist, Dr. Robert Moore by calling 405-743-4664. Our Robert Moore Family Dentistry team in Stillwater, Oklahoma is ready to help you maintain your healthy smile!