Composite Fillings: All You Need to Know

Smiles matter, sometimes even more than we think. Several studies conducted across the world have confirmed the influential role of smiles on our career success, relationships, and self-confidence. A confident person smiles more. And the ones who smile more often feel more confident and approachable to others. But what if you are unhappy about your smile due to your teeth's imperfections like decay and cavity? One of the most standard dental problems people endure is tooth decay. However, with the advancement in dental technology, various dental filling options are available to fix cavities and restore the teeth's health and aesthetics .  

Composite fillings

Fillings can be made from several materials like gold, amalgam, etc. However, the most popular choice to fix cavities and tooth decay are composite resin fillings, as they closely resemble the color and look of the teeth. Hence, composite fillings are suitable to fix cavities and decay in both visible and invisible areas of the teeth. Moreover, composite fillings are also used to improve the appearance of one's smile by repairing broken, cracked, or stained teeth to make them appear more aesthetic and even.

Benefits of composite fillings

Fixing tooth decay and cavities with composite fillings offers the following benefits: 

• As composite fillings are manufactures from tooth-colored resin, they are not easily distinguishable when applied to the teeth. It is possible to customize composite fillings' color, texture, and contour to match the natural teeth. 
• Composite fillings do not contain any mercury. They are fabricated from a biocompatible material that does not cause any reactions in the mouth.
• Composite fillings are durable and cover a cavity entirely, offer excellent sealing, and prevent reinfection.
• Working with composite fillings to fix a cavity is easy for an experienced dentist as it is easy to shape and harden them. This makes it possible to complete the dental filling procedure in less time in a single dental visit. 
• By fixing cavities with composite dental fillings, the health and functionality of the cavity-infected tooth can be restored.
• While fixing a cavity with dental fillings, it is possible to preserve more of the patient's natural teeth. This is because the procedure doesn't need the reshaping of the patient's tooth, much like a metal restoration, as these fillings can bond with the teeth walls. 
• Composite fillings are highly resistant to temperature variations, unlike metal fillings, adding to their stability. 

Composite Fillings Procedure

If the patient has one or several decayed teeth, we start the composite filling process by numbing the area using an anesthetic. Once the mouth becomes numb, we extract the decay and clean the tooth so as to eliminate all harmful bacteria present in it. The tooth is then filled using composite fillings that offer exceptional sealing properties, thus preventing any reinfection and further tooth decay.

If you want to fix your dental cavity with composite fillings, call Cantrell Dental at (501) 500-2019 or schedule an appointment online.