What Are Dental Fillings?

Dental fillings are a common treatment used to repair teeth affected by dental caries—commonly known as cavities. At the heart of Irvine dental care is the prevention and treatment of caries, which develop when plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—builds up on your teeth and produces acid that gradually wears away the tooth enamel. If left untreated, this decay can spread deeper into the tooth, causing pain, infection, and structural damage.

A dental filling removes the decayed portion of the tooth and replaces it with a material that restores the tooth’s original shape, strength, and function. Fillings are more than just a quick fix—they are an essential part of preventive dentistry, stopping the progression of decay; restorative dentistry, rebuilding damaged structure; and cosmetic dentistry, especially when using natural-looking materials like tooth-colored fillings.

Benefits of White and Tooth-Colored Fillings

White or tooth-colored fillings offer a better approach to treating cavities than metal amalgam in many ways. They use more modern technology to achieve:

  • More attractive results
  • Less visible treatment
  • A tight bond with teeth
  • Restorations that don’t oxidize and turn black
  • Better resistance to heat and cold
  • Less likelihood of cracked teeth

With traditional metal amalgam fillings, it’s obvious to everyone that you’ve had cavities. In fact, when the amalgam turns black, people might think you still have cavities. The discoloration from metal fillings can be visible through your teeth, so that sometimes your tooth may look grey or dark because of fillings on the backside of the teeth.

Heat and cold also affect metal fillings differently. In response to heat, such as from a hot beverage, the amalgam fillings will swell faster than the tooth surrounding it. This can lead to small cracks developing in the teeth. These cracks are tiny, but they do weaken the tooth and can lead to secondary cavities or even cracked teeth.

In response to cold, the metal amalgam, which isn’t bonded to the teeth, shrinks faster than the tooth, creating a space around the filling that liquid and bacteria can penetrate into. Then when the filling and tooth match again, the liquid is squeezed out under pressure, which can damage the tooth further.

Some people are also concerned by the presence of mercury in metal amalgam fillings. Mercury is toxic and makes up about half of the metal fillings by weight. It also doesn’t stay in the fillings, but evaporates and spreads through the body, accumulating in many different tissues. The American Dental Association and the Food and Drug Administration assert that metal amalgam fillings are safe, but many others are not as sure.

White Filling Options

You can choose from two different kinds of tooth-colored fillings. The most common is the resin composite filling, which comprises a plastic material with small inclusions of ceramic for strength. It begins as a soft putty that we place into a prepared tooth and then harden with a curing light.

Advanced ceramic materials similar to those used in all-porcelain dental crowns can also be used to create dental fillings. These offer superior performance in terms of both appearance and durability. They are called inlays when they fit into the bowl of the tooth crown and onlays when they extend up to and over the cusp of the tooth.

When Fillings Aren’t Enough

While white and tooth-colored fillings are excellent for small to moderate cavities, sometimes tooth damage is too extensive. In cases where a large portion of the tooth is missing or structurally compromised, a more advanced solution may be needed.

A dental crown is recommended when there’s not enough healthy tooth left to hold a filling, especially after a root canal or if the tooth is cracked. Crowns completely cover the tooth, restoring strength, function, and appearance.

If a tooth is missing entirely, a dental bridge or dental implant may be more appropriate. Bridges use surrounding teeth to support an artificial tooth in the gap, while implants replace both the root and crown of the tooth with a long-lasting, natural-feeling restoration. Implants also help prevent bone loss, which often follows tooth extraction.

Understanding the extent of decay or damage is essential for determining the right treatment. At Rice Dentistry in Orange County, we offer comprehensive evaluations to help you choose the most effective, attractive solution for your oral health.

Schedule Your Treatment Today

To learn how you can benefit from tooth-colored fillings—or whether a crown, bridge, or implant may be the better choice—please call (949) 551-5902 for an appointment at Rice Dentistry today.