Fillings

Traditional dental restorations, or fillings, include porcelain, amalgam/silver and composite. The strength and durability of traditional dental materials make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, often in the back of the mouth.

Newer dental fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds, often called composite resins, were originally used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important, but are now used on back teeth as well because of the high level of strength, good wearability, and excellent aesthetics.

What's right for me?

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity and expense of dental restorations, including:

• The amount of tooth structure remaining
• Where and how the filling is placed
• The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
• How deeply into the tooth the decay or existing filling extends

Before your treatment begins, your doctor will discuss with you all of your options and potential outcomes of having fillings placed in your tooth to remove decay.  At our office, the method we use is a composite resin (white) filling.