Dental Care

Composite Fillings: Improving Oral Health with a Natural Look

Composite fillings at the dental office in Mequon have been trending due to their superior aesthetics and ease of handling the material for restoring decayed and damaged teeth. They have successfully replaced traditional amalgam restorations and helped dentists restore mild to moderate tooth cavities. 

Composite fillings are popular aesthetic restorative solutions that offer several significant benefits in the long run. Let us explore them in detail. 

Indications of composite fillings

  • Chipped or cracked teeth
  • Diastema (space or gaps in between your teeth)
  • Dental decay in the visible areas of your mouth
  • Teeth that are worn out due to attrition (aging), increased masticatory forces, or bruxism (involuntary, persistent clenching and grinding of the teeth)
A composite filling is a type of dental material, made of a plastic resin mixed with a powdered glass filler. The filling is placed within the cleaned and prepared tooth surface, and hardened by a light-cured special glue. The material hardens through a process called polymerization. These aesthetic fillings help restore tooth structure lost due to caries, cracks, or fractures. 

Benefits of composite fillings in cosmetic dentistry

Composite fillings are often preferred by dentists worldwide since they offer several benefits: 

They are aesthetically superior: Composite fillings are tooth-colored restorations and easily blend with your natural tooth structure offering superior aesthetics.

Composites directly bond to the tooth enamel: Composite fillings bond directly to the enamel surface through microblogging and polymerization, thus establishing a stronger seal. 

Composites do not contain mercury: Mercury is toxic and can be harmful to the body when ingested. Unlike amalgam restorations, composite fillings do not contain mercury.

They preserve the natural tooth structure: Composite fillings do not require extensive tooth preparation. This preserves most of the tooth structure, integrity, overall strength, and resilience. 

They effectively protect from dental caries: Composite fillings contain fluorides that help prevent the development of caries in the future. Fluorides reverse tooth decay by a process called remineralization.

They are stain-resistant: The resin in composite filling does not stain the teeth, making it stain-resistant.

They offer excellent durability and strength: The composite material hardens through polymerization, which improves the strength and resilience of composites. 

Composite restoration is a quick procedure: Composite fillings are quick and painless procedures that usually take 10 to 15 minutes.

Composite fillings are aesthetic and durable restorations that are increasingly popular in cosmetic dentistry. They have successfully replaced traditional amalgam restorations owing to numerous benefits offered by them. Consult your dentists and explore these aesthetic fillings to rehabilitate and rejuvenate your oral cavity.