Metal vs. Tooth-Colored Fillings

Chances are that you probably have at least a filling or two, and that’s not something to be ashamed of. Fillings are a fine and effective way of dealing with tooth decay. In the past, fillings were almost exclusively metal, but over the years, advances have been made in the field of dental resins and composites. This has resulted in the creation of tooth-colored fillings. The team at our Broward County cosmetic dentistry offices wants to take a brief moment to address the differences between tooth-colored fillings and metal fillings.

The obvious difference we should first mention is the material these two different kinds of fillings are made from. Metal fillings are made from a metal amalgam and tooth-colored fillings are made from a dental resin/composite material. There’s a clear advantage from just a purely aesthetic standpoint already. The tooth-colored fillings are not as visible as the metal ones. In fact, with metal fillings, there tends to be some level of darkening over time.

There’s a major health issue that may be linked to some metal fillings. In some much older metal fillings, mercury may have been used to create the metal amalgam. It’s a good idea to get these kinds of fillings replaced by tooth-colored fillings to ensure that you don’t experience any health problems.

In addition to the health issue, metal fillings have other disadvantages to note. For one, metal fillings tend to expand and contract in response to hot or cold substances. This can leads to some major dental problems going forward in life. Placing metal fillings also requires the removal of more healthy tooth material than placing tooth-colored fillings.

For these reasons, when it comes to Broward County dental fillings at our practice, we encourage our patients to consider a metal-free approach to dental care. We discuss all of these benefits in greater detail during the consultation process.

If you would like to learn more about your options for fighting tooth decay and how to enhance your dental health, contact our Coconut Creek and Pompano Beach cosmetic dentistry offices. We look forward to meeting with you.