Tooth decay happens over time to many people. It’s not something that’s always avoidable, and it’s not something that everyone catches before it becomes a huge problem. While we love to help our patients avoid issues such as this one by educating you on proper health care and oral care, we know that not everyone is able to avoid tooth decay when it occurs. That’s why we offer our patients at Vestal Dental Associates the chance to experience dental fillings that help to remove decay and make your tooth look normal once again.
Fillings are used to restore damaged teeth. Our dental professionals remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then they fill the tooth with a material that is designed to give the tooth back its normal shape. This makes eating and living in general much easier. The problem with fillings, however, is that they are generally silver and very noticeable in your mouth. Practical, yes, but they are certainly not pretty.
Because we want the patients at our Vestal Dental Associates offices to look and feel as good as possible, we offer you the chance to have white fillings. They are far more natural looking, and they certainly do not stand out like a regular filling in a silver color might.
The benefits of a white filling are quite simple. The most obvious is the fact that they are the same color as your teeth, and they make it that much easier for you to look natural when you smile. Another of the amazing benefits of white fillings is that new materials being used to make them are more comparable to silver fillings. The reason so many people chose silver in the past is that they simply hold up better and last longer. Now the materials used to create both are quite comparable, which means that you can choose either silver or white and know that your teeth will look good for a long time.
To be quite honest, white fillings are far more attractive and safer than the old amalgam fillings. Silver fillings are noticeable and unattractive, and it’s far more difficult to see under them to see if tooth decay is growing and causing other problems.
If you already have fillings, most of the time we will suggest that you wait until you need them replaced to have another set of fillings put into your mouth. However, it is possible to remove old fillings and replace them with new ones to help you feel better, more confident and look better as a whole.
Silver amalgam fillings are not bonded to your tooth. They rest in the crevice a bit differently, and it’s because the material used to create them has been vastly improved over the past several years, making the newer white fillings more appropriate for your mouth. White fillings are now able to bond to the teeth. This means they actually work to strengthen the bone and make the teeth look stronger; as well as actually allow them to become stronger. What this means for you is that you might not deal with as many cracks or other issues with the tooth or the filling in the future.
We have no real upfront answer to this question as it’s far too dependent on a number of other factors. For example, small fillings could last you the rest of your life. Other fillings might not last so long. To get a better idea of how long your filling might last, we first take into consideration the tooth in question. Certain teeth work harder and endure more force than others, meaning fillings will likely not last as long on these teeth. Trauma and injury also play a part in how long a white filling might last. Finally, your own personal hygiene habits also play a big role in how long your fillings might last. Our dental professionals can better answer this question for you after determining the answer to these questions.
Filling your teeth with a stronger and more natural looking filling can’t happen until you schedule a consultation with one of our dental professionals. At Vestal Dental Associates, we want to make sure you love the way your teeth look. Call us today at (607) 785-3339 to schedule an appointment with our team of experts to discuss whether or not a white filling is right for you.