Composite Fillings: Restorative, Cosmetic or Both?

Dental fillings are used to repair an area of decay or damage within a tooth. Fillings involve special materials to restore the tooth to optimal integrity and strength. Past dental fillings often included metal (amalgam) material that offered effective restoration but lacked in aesthetics. In fact, others could tell if you had a cavity filled by the flashy spots of silver in the back of your smile. Today, there is a new filling material available, and its versatility makes it the number one choice for patients and dentists alike.

Most modern dentists offer composite resin fillings instead of amalgam fillings. Composite filings are also called “tooth colored fillings,” which reveal their highlighted benefit of blending in with your natural teeth. Composite offers the same effectiveness and durability of amalgam, yet it is made to match the color of your tooth. This means you can hide your past cavities as well as repair a tooth in the front of your smile. 

Composite resin is a white plastic and glass mixture that bonds directly to the surface of the treated tooth. There is less removal of healthy tooth structure compared to getting a silver filling, and you don’t have to worry about white filings contracting, expanding or leaking over time. Best of all, getting a composite filling is quick and easy!

A Budget-Friendly Smile Makeover

Composite resin offers the unique ability to be used restoratively (to repair an area of decay or damage) as well as cosmetically. This means that patients who have minor aesthetic flaws in their smile, such as a small tooth gap, uneven teeth, chipped teeth or stubborn staining, can receive composite resin bonding as a non-invasive and cost-effective cosmetic treatment. In fact, bonding is one of the least expensive options for improving your smile appearance.

Want to learn more about the expansive benefits of composite fillings? Call Riverwood Dental today. We are committed to using the latest and most proven dental materials in the industry!