Essential to Choose the Right Type of Dental Filling for Your Teeth

Tooth decay continues to remain a problem for many American adults and children despite several advances made in dental hygiene. When left untreated, tooth decay creates severe dental issues, including a dental abscess and loss of teeth. Regular dental visits both for children and adults are essential for six months to enable dentists to check for signs of tooth decay and any other dental health problems.

When you neglect excellent dental hygiene and overlook dental visits every six months, you or a family member will likely develop tooth decay and cavities needing treatment from the dentist in St Pete Beach, FL. If the dentist confirms a hole exists in your tooth, they recommend cleaning and filling it immediately without further delay. You can discuss the type of dental filling you want to have depending on whether the cavity is on a molar or you need a front tooth filling. There are various types of materials for filling holes in the teeth made from gold, silver amalgam, composite, ceramic, and glass ionomer.

Which Sort of Dental Filling Would You fancy Having?

The materials mentioned above are all appropriate to fill cavities in the teeth. You can choose to have any variety of dental fillings if you think they are suitable for the hole in your tooth. However, it helps to understand some fillings are better suited for some conditions. The dentist near you is the optimal professional to help you determine which material is best suited for your needs after considering your budget and current dental health.

If trying to determine which type of filling is best, you must factor in the cavities location, the cost of the dental filling, the severity of the decay, and your insurance coverage. Please continue reading to obtain more information on each filling material.

Gold Fillings: Gold fillings are incredibly robust, noncorrosive, and last for nearly 15 years with proper dental hygiene. However, gold fillings are also expensive than other varieties and require more than one dental visit to have them fitted correctly.

Silver Amalgam Fillings: Silver amalgam fillings are also robust and sturdy but do not favor many people because of their unaesthetic appearance. Additionally, silver amalgam fillings are likely to expand and contract, causing a tooth to crack than other types of filling material. Many people worry about the safety aspect of silver amalgam fillings because they contain mercury, a neurotoxin. However, scientific research has confirmed silver amalgam material as the safest dental fillings in the present circumstances.

Composite Fillings: If you want an attractive option closely matched to the shade of your natural teeth, you can consider composite fillings. However, please understand composite fillings are more expensive than silver amalgam without being sufficiently durable.

Ceramic Fillings: Porcelain helps make ceramic fillings a highly aesthetically pleasing option with incredible durability. However, here again, the cost of ceramic fillings is higher than silver amalgam fillings, and they can wear the opposing teeth if the porcelain becomes rough.

Glass Ionomer: These acrylic fillings last for under five years and are a good option for children if their teeth are changing. Glass ionomer fillings release fluoride helping to prevent tooth decay.

Now that you have detailed information about various types of dental fillings, which one would you prefer to have on your teeth?

Allow an Expert to Guide You When Making a Decision

When getting dental fillings from the dental office in St. Pete Beach, you are talking to experienced dental professionals with adequate knowledge about which material suits the cavity in your mouth the best. The professionals are also aware you may have budgetary constraints that may prevent you from having highly durable materials like gold in your mouth.

Experienced dental professionals like Dr. Cecilia Sorrelle consider the location of the cavity, your financial situation, your aesthetic needs, and your insurance coverage before recommending any particular variety is suitable for your teeth.

If you have a cavity on the front teeth, the dentist recommends composite tooth-colored fillings matched to the shade of your neighboring teeth. However, if you have a hole in your molars, you likely will receive a recommendation to have silver amalgam fillings for their durability and affordability. The dentist also allows you to decide whether you want to have a colorful mouth with different materials in different locations so long as you remember it will dramatically affect your aesthetic appearance and wallet. Therefore you need to choose the right type of dental filling when getting cavities filled.