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Fillings

The word 'fillings' is just a catch all phrase used in dentistry by the patient and the doctor to describe the restoration that helps a tooth be 'restored' to its normal health. The tooth or teeth in question may have a cavity, or have broken, and it is 'filled' , that is the cavity (decay) was removed and a filling of some sort was put in the 'cavity hole' to bring the tooth to a normal healthy state again.

There are many different types of fillings that are used in dentistry today, from the old "silver fillings" to the new porcelain fillings. Below is a list of some of the filling materials that we use to help restore a tooth;

amalgam
gold
acrylic
composite
porcelain
glass

The amalgam fillings are also known as silver fillings because of their appearance.

Most of you probably have had some of these in the past. These fillings are not

the choice of today though because of the new advancements in the materials

and technology that dental care has to offer.

Gold fillings are just as the name applies, gold restorations.

These types of fillings are excellent especially in

the chewing areas of the mouth ( back teeth ). They

are cast to precisely fit your tooth and are cemented or

bonded in place permanently. They are extremely strong

and should never chip or break.

Acrylic fillings are fillings which are made up of a plastic material.

Most of these are used for just temporary situations.

Composite restorations can be used to restore teeth that have cavities, chips, and fractures. They can match the color of your teeth and thus will blend in very naturally. When done properly, you can not even tell that there is a filling on the tooth. Composites are used especially for bonding a tooth.