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By
the age of 45, more than 99 % of Americans have experienced tooth decay, which
is largely preventable.
Our goal is to help you avoid
cavities. However if you have a cavity and need a filling at least
today you have a choice of what type of material you would like to have
used to replace your loss tooth structure due to decay.
The benefits
of restorations (fillings) are that they:
 | limit the damage from
dental caries |
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preserve and protect the
remaining tooth structure |
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reestablish adequate
function or use of tooth |
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save your teeth |
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provide ease in maintaining
good oral hygiene |
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removing all the decay
tremendously lowers the bacterial count in your mouth.
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| maintain pulp or nerve vitality
when possible |
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preserving the:
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function |
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appearance |
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life of
your teeth. |
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As much as we would like
things to last forever, they don't! Even dental fillings need to be
replaced to best protect your teeth. Fifty percent of fillings done are replacements of existing fillings.
As
you continue to replace your fillings they get bigger and lead to more
replacements so take care of your dental health to prevent this from occurring.
How a "white spot"
can advance to decay
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Sometimes restorations
need to be replaced for cosmetic reasons because the material used before may
become badly discolored.
Aging may change teeth or the surrounding
structures enough to require replacement of a restoration to improve your bite
or to save your teeth. The old restoration may have aged past its
usefulness and the underlying tooth structure may be in danger if a new
restoration is not done.
Fillings do not cure decay they only remove
the result of the acid attack.
If you do not use good oral
hygiene and have routine periodic exams to
assure your restorations are fully intact and still protecting the underlying
tooth, another cavity will develop causing you to need an even larger filling; a root canal or the worse...having a tooth
extracted.
At the exam we check for new cavities and inspect old restorations for leakage
around their edges. You may not feel any symptoms of this leakage if
not regularly checked until the damage has advanced to a critical level.
We are in the tooth saving business, our goal is to help you keep your teeth for
a lifetime.
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When considering how to
restore a tooth several factors are considered in planning for this restoration:
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treating any disease present
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determining the best restorative material to use
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durability
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appearance
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weighting the impact of the restoration on the
development of cavities
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it's' relationship
to other restorations already
present.
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A smile is the universal language and we
want yours to be the best for you.
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| Type of
Filling |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Silver (Amalgam) |
Lowest cost
Least technique sensitive
Usually covered by insurance |
Color
Weakens the tooth
Can require removal of healthy tooth to allow for retention
of material |
| White (Composite) |
Color
Medium cost
Bonds and strengthens tooth |
Technique sensitive
Longer procedure
May wear faster
Insurance may not cover |
| Gold Inlay or Onlay |
Long life 20-40 years
Good wear
Less technique sensitive |
Higher cost
Two visits required
Insurance may not cover
Color |
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Amalgam
fillings have been around for over 150 years. Their durably is time
tested. We do not recommend amalgam filling on your anterior teeth. We
usually only place them on molars upon patient's request.
There has been
many questions about amalgam safety. We
will offer you the choice between "white" or composite fillings
and amalgam.
As composite fillings continue to advance and improve their durability
our goal is to become an amalgam free practice due to the following reasons:
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Amalgam filling have a nonaesthetic
appearance.
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The cups of an amalgam restored teeth
are only 30% as strong as healthy teeth or teeth restored with
composite.*
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Amalgam expands as it ages causing significant
tooth fracturing.
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Mercury concerns.
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| Large amalgam fillings
like this one need to be crowned
to protect the tooth from fractures and/or breakage: |
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Tooth
colored filling or composite is the only material we will use on anterior
(front) teeth because of their natural tooth colored appearance. This
material is mercury free. We want
you to look and feel your best.
How long these
different materials hold up to wear are continuously being evaluated. Here
are the latest results of how long dental
fillings wear and hold up through daily wear. Their wear value
however, is based larger on your daily care of them.
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Inlays and onlays are
another method of replacing tooth structure.
When you are
informed
that you need a filling you will hear the dental staff discuss
"surfaces". The pricing of a filling is dependent on the number
of surfaces involved in the procedure.
There are
five surfaces:
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Mesial-front side of tooth
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Distal-back side of tooth
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Occlusal-biting surface of
tooth
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Lingual-tongue side of
tooth
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Facial-check side of tooth
The more
surfaces that need to be
replaced the more involved and complicated the procedure becomes resulting in a
higher fee.
This is why we recommend you come in for your 6 month
recare
appointments so we can find these cavities when they are small, more affordable
and less destructive to tooth surfaces.
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Class 1: involves one surface
of the five surfaces cavity.
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Class 2: involves two surfaces of cavity.
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| Class 3: involve a cavity on the proximal
(between) surface on front teeth.
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Class 4: involves three surfaces including
the incisal (biting edge of front tooth) edge .
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| Class 5: involves one surface cavity on the
labial (lip) or tongue side of any tooth.
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| Class 6: involves a cavity on the cusp
of a posterior or back tooth.
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EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF
CAVITIES BENEATH RESTORATIONS CAN SAVE YOUR TEETH!
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February 06, 2008
* Resource: Dental Equipment & Materials. 01/01
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