How to Choose the Right Type of Dental Filling for Treating Tooth Cavities?

Tooth decay remains a chronic issue with American adults and children despite tremendous advances in dentistry and dental care. If left untreated or ignored, tooth decay results in severe dental health issues, which include abscessed teeth and tooth loss.

Scheduling six monthly appointments with the dentist near me for exams and cleanings helps avoid complications with your teeth by getting them to identify signs of tooth decay or other dental issues. Dentists take x-rays during the exams to detect cavities on and between your teeth and suggest treating them immediately to ensure they don’t expand.

Whether the dentist detects a minor cavity between your teeth or significant damage from tooth decay on your molars, you must remain determined that you will get the tooth restored with different types of dental fillings near you available with dentists to protect your tooth. However, which dental filler is suitable for the damage incurred by your tooth? If you find it challenging to select between the different kinds of fillers, the dentist’s office near me can help you choose by suggesting the appropriate dental filler that suits your needs the best.

Different Kinds of Dental Fillers

There are different kinds of dental fillers, including gold, silver amalgam, composite resin, ceramic, and glass ionomers. These filters are appropriate to fill cavities in teeth, but some are better suited to specific situations. Therefore your dentist is better placed to help you determine the filler best suited for your needs.

When selecting the filling material for the cavity in your tooth, you must factor in the location of the damage, the severity of the decay, your insurance coverage, et cetera, before choosing any specific filling material. Read their details below if you want additional information about the filling materials.

• Gold Fillings: Gold fillers are incredibly durable besides remaining non-corrosive and stay on your teeth for 15 years with proper dental hygiene. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than silver amalgam fillings and require multiple visits to dentists to have them fitted correctly.
• Silver Amalgam Fillings: These fillings are also incredibly durable and sturdy. Sadly many people don’t find it aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, they are more likely to expand and contract to cause cracks in the tooth than other filling materials. In addition, the long-term safety of silver amalgam fillings is also a concern because it contains mercury, an acknowledged neurotoxin.
• Composite Resin Fillings: if you want an attractive solution for the cavity, you can select composite resin fillings because they are closely matched to the shade of your teeth. However, these fillings are more expensive than silver amalgam and require replacements every five to seven years.
• Ceramic Fillings: Made from porcelain, ceramic fillings are aesthetically pleasing and highly durable. However, ceramic fillings are more expensive than silver amalgam fillings and can wear the teeth in the opposite jaw when the porcelain becomes rough.
• Glass Ionomers: Alternatively called acrylic fillers, they last fewer than five years and are aesthetically pleasing, besides being an excellent choice for children with developing teeth. In addition, they also release fluoride, which helps strengthen tooth enamel to prevent cavities.

When selecting filling materials for your teeth, it helps if you allow the dentist in Tampa to decide which material best suits the cavity in your tooth. Dentists fill teeth frequently and know better about the fillers described in this article.

Although dentists will fill your teeth with the material you prefer, they recommend an aesthetically pleasing solution to ensure they don’t impact your smile while restoring your tooth to its former glory. For example, if you have a hole in a molar, the dentist will likely recommend silver amalgam fillings or gold if your budget permits. However, dentists do not suggest silver amalgam or gold fillers for the anterior teeth but offer composite resin or ceramic because the materials blend seamlessly with your teeth. If you desire, you can have composite resin fillers for cavities on your molars, remembering that they need faster replacements than metal fillings. Therefore the better option for you is to allow the dentist to select the filling material best suited for your needs.

Restoring your teeth with fillers isn’t the end of the dental visit because you must continue caring for them by brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing once, refraining from sugary and starchy foods or beverages, and getting half-yearly dental exams to ensure the fillers are in optimal shape. In addition, it helps if you understand preventing cavities by adopting the measures suggested is better than allowing permanent damage to develop in your teeth.

New Tampa Smiles provides different types of dental fillers for cavities in teeth. If you are affected by tooth decay and need fillings, accepting this dentist’s suggestions enables you to receive the suitable filling material for your tooth.