Choosing Material for Tooth Fillings

An overview on the different types of tooth fillings materials available and the disadvantage as well as advantage of each type.

Most people have had to have had to have at least one or two tooth fillings in their lifetime and likely will have one or two more at some point in their lifetime. There are several different types of tooth fillings that most patients are familiar with including gold, silver amalgam, porcelain and composite resin. The type of tooth filling you opt for will vary depending on what your personal preference is and what your insurance company or pocket book can pay for.

Gold fillings are expensive but very durable and can last ten to fifteen years and wont corrode, crack or fracture. But in addition to being expensive they also require at least two chair visits to put in and some patients experience a very rare side effect called Galvanic shock brought on by a gold filling being placed near a silver amalgam filling.

Silver amalgam is probably the most common filling most middle age or older adults have since it is less expensive than gold and tends to last about the same amount of time. However this material has fallen out of popularity for tooth fillings for a variety of reasons including aesthetics. Not only is the silver filling unattractive and obvious, but it also leaches a grayish hue color onto the tooth itself. In addition the appearance of the silver amalgam filling there has also been more concern lately about the composite materials used to construct the filling. These fillings were generally a mixture of mercury, silver tin, zinc and copper. Mercury is not something that we should really be exposed to and its not something most scientist feel we should be totting around in our fillings. Plus it just doesn’t hold up well. Silver fillings tend to crack and fracture more from the contact with hot and cold foods and liquids we consume that they come in contact with.

And if that’s not enough to discourage the use of this type of filling material, one percent of the population is also allergic to it.
Porcelain/ceramic tooth fillings have become more popular for a few reasons including how they look which is pretty much like your natural tooth. They can resist staining so you don’t have to worry about coffee, tea and cola leaving a lasting tint on your fillings and even though they cost as much as gold fillings they also last just as long or slightly longer.

A close second in the type of tooth fillings material that dentist and patients tend to favor however is composite fillings. These fillings can match the natural tooth and be used on the front tooth without being visible. This filling type also can be used for more than just fillings it can be used for cracked teeth, chipped teeth or broken teeth because of its natural appearance. The downside to composite fillings is their life span which is relevantly short at five years and the fact that they may require a few office visits to process.

Article Tags: Tooth Fillings

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