What are composite fillings?
Composite fillings are strong, but may not be as hard wearing as amalgam fillings. Composite fillings are tooth coloured and are made from powdered glass quartz, silica or other ceramic particles added to a resin base. After the tooth is prepared, the filling is bonded onto the area and a light shone onto it to set it. The dentist will choose a shade to match your existing teeth, although over time staining can happen.
Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. They are sometimes referred to as composites or filled resins. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be “bonded” or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth.
Many people have had silver fillings placed into their teeth because they had “cavities”. These silver fillings are called amalgams. Amalgam fills the space where the decay in the tooth has been removed. However over time, the amalgam corrodes and leaks which blackens the silver, and many times the tooth. This is easily seen as soon as a patient opens his or her mouth and is usually a source of embarrassment for the patient. Composite fillings are made of a porcelain-like material that actually bonds to the tooth for a tight seal. They are strong and stain-resistant, and they are color-matched to the natural tooth, making them “invisible”. Composite fillings also lack the sensitivity that is often associated with silver amalgam fillings. They are especially suited for smaller cavities and for patients who may be allergic to metal fillings.
