Dental Composite Fillings in Lynn
If there is one procedure that dentists have practiced for a long time, it is the use of composite fillings. For more than 150 years, dentists have used a mix of metals, that included mercury and silver, to take care of a decayed tooth.
The dentists use a variety of tools to clean out the decay of the affected area and then fill it with a mixture of different metals – often including mercury and silver. In the early days, those areas would often appear gray or dark when a person laughed. It is also common for many to prefer mercury-free tooth fillings where composites offer a solution.
With the advancements that have taken place in dental technology, patients can have their cavities or other hollow areas in their teeth filled using mercury-free composite fillings. The complete opposite of traditional fillings, composites are made from special resins that are designed to match your existing tooth color.
First introduced in the 1960s, composites were designed to be confined to a patient’s front teeth simply because they were not strong enough to withstand the pressure and wear that a patient’s back teeth would cause. These days, though, composites are not only used on the front teeth but also on the back and can be used as part of a cosmetic dental regimen, too.
Here is how composites work:
- Decay is removed from teeth.
- The tooth is prepared for the composite.
- The preparation work consists of conditioning the enamel and tooth dentin.
- After conditioning, a thin layer of resin is applied to this area. (The resin that bonds to the prepared tooth.)
- The length of time it takes depends on the size and location of the cavity.
- Once placed in a patient’s mouth, a bright light is used to harden the filling. It usually takes about 40 seconds for this process to be completed.
Composite fillings also provide an adequate seal when applied to an affected area. This seal will help prevent any further tooth decay from occurring. In order to decide if composite fillings are adequate for your dental needs, there are a few factors that we evaluate first that include:
- The overall size of the area that needs to be filled
- The location of the infected area (is the tooth heavily used for chewing?).
- Any allergies a patient may have to various materials that might be used.
- The patient’s preference for the type of metal used
- Are the new colored fillings going to be aesthetically pleasing for the patient?
Feel free to give Alegre Dental: Dentist in Lynn a call today to schedule an appointment. We will work with you in order to determine if composite fillings are the solution for your teeth ailments.