In the past, traditional dental restoratives, or fillings, were most often silver amalgam). The strength and durability of this traditional dental material makes it 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, are usually used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important, but they can also be used on the back teeth depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay.
What’s right for me?
Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity, and expense of dental restorations, including:
- The components used in the filling material
- The amount of tooth structure remaining
- Where and how the filling is placed
- The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
- The length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth
Before your treatment begins, your doctor will discuss with you all of your options and help you choose the best filling for your particular case. In preparation for this discussion it may be helpful to understand the two basic types of dental fillings — direct and indirect.
- Direct fillings are fillings placed into a prepared cavity in a single visit. They include silver amalgam, glass ionomers, resin ionomers, and composite (resin) fillings. The dentist prepares the tooth, places the filling, and adjusts it in one appointment.
- Indirect fillings also can be done in one appointment, but can require two or more visits. They include inlays, onlays, and veneers fabricated with ceramics, but can be gold, base metal alloys, or composites. They are used when a tooth has too much damage to support a filling but not enough to necessitate a crown. During the visit, the dentist prepares the tooth and makes a digital scan (or sometimes an impression) of the area to be restored. If the restoration can not be completed in one appointment, he dentist then places a temporary covering over the prepared tooth. The digital scan or impression may be sent to a dental laboratory, which creates the dental restoration. At the next appointment, the dentist bonds or cements the restoration into the prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.
