If you don’t remove the plaque everyday,
these plaque acids can break down the enamel
of your teeth in a process called “demineralization”.
When the demineralization process occurs
faster than the rebuilding process (called
“remineralization”), a weak
spot can form.
If you don’t take care
of weak spots, they can become cavities.
Sometimes cavities are hard
to see, so we use dental X-rays and
a dental explorer. It’s far better
to catch and restore cavities while they’re
still small and in the enamel layer of the
tooth. Once they’re in the softer
dentin layer, they really grow quickly.
If they make it to the pulp chamber, we
have a whole new set of problems to discuss...
root
canals.
Composite
fillings
A composite filling is a white filling material
(tooth colored) used to repair small cavities,
broken or chipped teeth and worn teeth.
Depending upon the extent of the decay, a filling
may not be enough. An
inlay or a crown
may be needed.
"In our office we no longer use silver fillings."
"We only use composite fillings."
Advantages of White
Fillings:
- Composite fillings restore most of the
original strength of the tooth since they
are bonded to the tooth. Silver fillings
are not bonded to the tooth, so they weaken
the teeth making them more susceptible
to breaking
- Composite fillings restore the natural
appearance of the tooth
- Teeth restored with white fillings
are less sensitive to hot and cold than
teeth restored with silver fillings (amalgam).
- Composites are mercury-free fillings
- Composites require less removal of
tooth structure. Especially with new cavities,
the size of the hole made for the filling
can be really smaller with composites
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