Your teeth are covered in a hard enamel to protect them, but the enamel isn’t indestructible. Bacteria feed on the sugars you eat to produce acid, which eats away at the enamel and leads to decay and cavities (holes in the surface).
Decay and the resulting cavities are among the world's most common health problems. They're especially common in children, teenagers, and older adults, as they might not be as diligent about brushing and flossing their teeth as they should be. In truth, though, anyone can get a cavity, so it’s important to be informed about them and their treatment.
If you don’t treat a cavity, it gets larger and affects deeper layers of your teeth, such as the dentin beneath the enamel and the pulp containing blood vessels and the nerve in the middle of the tooth, possibly necessitating a root canal. Regular dental visits and good brushing and flossing habits are the best ways to protect your teeth from cavities.
At Hometown Family Dental Centers, with locations in Fayetteville, Vass, and Raeford, North Carolina, our expert dental professionals recommend twice yearly dental cleanings to detect cavities when they’re small and easy to fix. To that end, they’d like to talk about the different types of fillings for cavities in this month’s blog.
Cavity symptoms vary depending on their size, number, and location. Because you may not have any symptoms when a cavity is just starting, it’s important to get an exam so we can detect and treat it before it becomes a problem.
As the decay eats away more of the tooth, it may cause symptoms such as:
If you have symptoms like a toothache or other mouth pain, visit us as soon as possible.
There are several types of fillings, but we’re discussing the two most common types: amalgam and composite resin.
Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals: liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered alloy of silver, tin, and copper. About 50% of the amalgam is elemental mercury by weight, and its chemical properties allow it to react with and bind together the silver/copper/tin alloy particles.
Amalgam fillings are often called “silver fillings” because they have a shiny, silver-like appearance, though professionals don’t use the term, as it doesn’t correctly explain the materials involved.
We start by drilling the tooth to remove the decay and then shape the cavity for placement of the amalgam filling. Next, we mix the encapsulated powdered alloy with the liquid mercury, which forms an amalgam putty, which we shape and place in the prepared cavity. Once placed, it rapidly hardens into a solid filling.
Amalgam has several benefits:
It does, however, have two major drawbacks. First, it’s very shiny, so you wouldn’t want to use it on a tooth near the front that everyone can see.
Second, it releases a small amount of mercury vapor, which you could inhale. While researchers know that high levels of mercury can be toxic, the data aren’t clear on how dangerous this small amount can be, and many people want to err on the side of caution.
Composite fillings are a mixture of acrylic resin reinforced with a powdered glass filler. We can shade them to match your damaged tooth and those around it, giving you a more natural appearance. No one will know you’ve had work done.
Composite’s biggest drawbacks are that it’s much more expensive to manufacture than amalgam, and the material doesn’t last as long. Researchers give the fillings 7-10 years of life, but the fact is, if you’re highly prone to cavities, they may not last even that long.
If you haven’t had a professional dental exam in a while, it’s time to come into Hometown Family Dental Centers for a once-over so we can examine your teeth for cavities and other dental problems. To schedule an appointment, contact our office by phone or on the website.
