Tooth-Colored Fillings
What is a tooth-colored filling?
A tooth-colored (aesthetic) filling uses a composite material matched to the shade of your natural teeth, creating a more natural and attractive smile. The composite is hardened with a halogen curing light and bonds chemically to the tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main goal is for the filling to match the natural tooth in shape and color, with no visible margins, so that you cannot tell the filling apart from your own tooth. This is why patients prefer them.
Although metal fillings were once believed to be stronger and more functional, advances in technology have made composite materials much tougher. Today's tooth-colored fillings are longer-lasting, more aesthetic and healthier than metal fillings.
With routine oral care, tooth-colored fillings do not deform, and no gaps or leakage develop around them. During your six-monthly check-ups, your fillings are maintained and re-polished so they last much longer. In short, the lifespan of a filling depends on how well you look after your mouth.
No. As long as your teeth receive routine care and no decay is detected in the tooth, there is no need to replace a tooth-colored filling.
Because their hardness is closer to that of natural teeth and they bond chemically to the tooth, they offer better protection against possible fractures.
Yes. Your amalgam fillings can be replaced with tooth-colored fillings in a single visit.
We prefer to preserve as much of the natural tooth structure as possible. For teeth weakened by large cavities or fractures, we first assess how far they can be strengthened with a tooth-colored filling. Thanks to advances in composite technology, many teeth that once would have needed a porcelain crown can now be maintained for many years with a filling alone.