The Problem With Amalgam (Silver) Fillings

The mouth in its ideal form is free of signs of decay and disease.  Unfortunately, often our mouths can appear less than ideal with unsightly dark silver fillings.  Now, there is a new kind of restoration available called composite fillings that replace dark silver fillings to make your mouth look natural and beautiful again.

In the past, when an old filling wore out or failed with new decay, the only option was to have another silver filling.  Unfortunately, silver fillings have several disadvantages.  First, with time, the edges of the fillings deteriorate and break through a process called metal fatigue.  When a filling breaks, it no longer seals the tooth and tooth decay begins again.  Second, silver fillings just fill holes.  They don't add strength to decayed teeth.  And, when they age, they expand which can further weaken and crack the remaining tooth structure.  The result is tooth fracture which can result in the need  for a crown to seal and protect the tooth.  Finally, silver fillings cause unsightly metal stains of the teeth and gums.

With advances in materials and techniques, we now have a material that avoids these problems - composite fillings.  Composite fillings are tooth colored acrylics that are adhesively applied to the teeth in a process called bonding.  Composites not only look natural, they actually restore strength to the tooth while sealing and protecting the tooth.  For strong and natural looking teeth, Dr. Dulski uses composites exclusively as filling material at Adult Dentistry of Rochester.  For a free exam and consultation to discuss your alternative to silver fillings, visit http://www.dulski.com/.

Tags: Amalgam Fillings, Silver Fillings, Composite Fillings, Crowns