TREATMENTS



Tooth Fillings

Problem:
 

Cavity or Old Filling Needs Replacing

 
Patients have several options to choose from when selecting the type of restoration they prefer.  "Silver fillings" were a great alternative thirty years ago, but with the new generation state-of-the-art "white" materials, few patients request them.  Here is a sampling of some of the options you have for replacing an old filling with their Pros and Cons . . . .
                                
Solution:  Amalgam "silver filling"
 
Pros:
  •  Longest clinical track record
  • Common procedure usin existing, familair technology
  • Relatively inexpensive and usually requires no additional laboratory fees
  • Quick and easy procedure that requires one visit to the dentist's office
  • Generally does not cause sensitivity
     

Cons:

  • Usually contains mercury
  • Some patients need to be evaluated to rule out metal allergies
  • Color does not match teeth
  • Least esthetic of all the restoration nationally available
  • Teeth with "silver fillings" darken over time due to leakage
  • Restoration is mechanically retained, not cemented in.
  • Some healthy tooth surface is removed
  • Overall tooth structure can be weakened
  • Possibility for decay under and around an amalgam filling since it does not seal the tooth

Solution: Composite "white filling"

 

Pros:

  • Tooth colored material matches teeth and looks natural
  • Good clinical track record
  • Reinforces tooth - can regain up to 95% of original tooth strength.
  • Quick and easy procedure that requires one visit to the dentist's office
  • Sealed to tooth - prevents additional tooth decay better than "silver filling"
     
  • Cons:
  • Condition of mouth may determine success of the procedure
  • May require additional cost

 Solution:  Porcelain Onlay "lab white filling" 

 
Pros:
  • Strengthens and supports the tooth - more fracture and wear resistant 
  • Most exact replication of tooth form - custom-made to match existing tooth structure
  • Natural looking- custom-matched to tooth color and form
  • Less removal of healthy tooth structure
  • Produced in a laboratory, rather than in the mouth, for greater strength and durability
  • Excellent track record
Cons:
  • May require an additional appointment
  • Requires additional laboratory fee
  • More Costly