What is a Composite Restoration?
Composite resins have mainly been used on the front teeth, where a silver filling would be noticeable; however, the dental industry has been steadily moving towards using the composite more often. Thanks to advances in modern dental materials and techniques, teeth can now be restored with more aesthetic and natural appearing filling materials. Increasingly, these fillings are now also being used on the back teeth. Even though these fillings have the advantage of being the color of the teeth, they are more expensive than silver amalgam and may not last as long on surfaces exposed to heavy chewing forces. These tooth colored fillings are made up of a composite quartz resin and contain a light sensitive agent. The materials come in a variety of shades so that they will match the color of your own teeth. Composite materials are now available that have been specifically designed to withstand the incredible forces you can exert when chewing on your back teeth.
Composites have been in use for many years, but their chemical composition has been dramatically improved over the years. The adhesives used to bond the composites to the teeth have also evolved. Thus, the widely accepted methods of bonding are used for a number of important procedures, such as closing undesirable spaces, improving the shape, size and color of a tooth, replacing an unattractive amalgam restoration, covering stained or damaged areas of a tooth. Broken teeth and sensitivity to heat and cold can also be treated using composites.
Composites have been used for many years however their chemical make-up has changed and improved exponentially. The bonding agents used to make the composites adhere to the tooth have improved just as dramatically. Because of the improvements, the use of composites has become widely accepted by dentists and the indications for their use are more numerous. They are being used to close undesirable spaces, improve the shape, size and color of a tooth, replace an unsightly amalgam restoration, cover abraded or worn areas of a tooth (usually at the gum line) and to cover stains. Composites can also be used to protect thermally sensitive areas and to repair and strengthen broken teeth.
