Church Street Dental Practice

Most people have fillings of one sort or another, as we become more conscious about the way they look, patients are less inclined to have silver fillings on their back teeth that may show when they laugh or smile. As such more and more patients are looking for a natural appearance. This can be achieved with composites, a tooth coloured material.

A composite filling is a tooth-coloured resin and glass mixture used to restore decayed or broken teeth. By using enamel and dentin bonding techniques, white fillings restore teeth that have become damaged as a result of tooth decay or injury. Composite fillings are more complex to place than silver fillings so may take longer to complete and are considered to be a cosmetic treatment.

Posterior (back) teeth undergo far greater pressure and stress on chewing than anterior (front) teeth. While a white filling will always have a greater cosmetic appeal compared to amalgams, white fillings have always been considered less long-lasting than silver amalgam fillings for posterior restorations.

However there are now new materials available that have comparable properties to silver amalgam, and are proving to be very successful. The life expectancy of a white filling will depend greatly on the size, depth and position of the restoration.

While it is not possible to predict the future your dentist can advise which option is most suitable for you.