Do you have Amalgam (silver fillings) in your mouth?
Patient Came in with Amalgam fillings - Pre -treatment. Notice the blue hue and fracture lines.
Composite Fillings completed at Kuwaye Dental.
Patient Came in with Amalgam fillings - Pre -treatment. Notice the blue hue and fracture lines.
Fillings
If you answered YES to the above question, then you are aware you are of these materials in your daily life. Above slideshow shows a patient with black (amalgam fillings) that we changed to white fillings. Notice the blue hue (color) and crack lines.
Amalgam
A tried and true material that has been used extensively in the general dentistry community for over 100 years. Though much controversy surrounds this material. According to recent American Dental Association (ADA) literature: "The American Dental Association has examined the study and its findings and reaffirms its position that dental amalgam is a durable, safe and effective cavity-filling option." However even though it has been ruled safe and I have personally seen Amalgam fillings last 30+ years, they, like every material have its drawbacks. Amalgam fillings are held in by mechanical forces which means they are not glued in (bonded) like white fillings. This means your dentist has to take out more tooth structure than needed. Also, another major drawback is that Amalgam fillings always expand, which means eventually they will crack your teeth (see picture above). The analogy most commonly used is pushing a nail in a piece of wood and you'll see those little hairline fractures. Though there are many causes of broken teeth. 9 out of 10 broken teeth we see at an office had a large amalgam filling placed years ago.
Resin
White fillings are a tooth colored material that needs to be cured using a very bright blue light. Not all fillings are done the same. Here at Kuwaye Dental we take time in trying our absolute best making sure your white fillings are pain free and last a long time. White, composite fillings use a bonding agent (glue) to stick to your tooth which means we can remove only the cavity and be a minimally invasive as possible. Here at Kuwaye Dental we want your fillings to LAST. Though every situation is different we make sure every filling we do, we use a desensitizer (minimizes sensitivity) and a Sealer (Prevents recurrent staining).
General Dentistry is changing everyday, come and see how easier things have become!