For fillings, we use composite resin, and for most crowns, we use all-porcelain restorations. Your smile is part of your personality and your image. We will partner with you to maintain your oral health and your natural-looking, gorgeous smile.
Composite vs. Amalgam Fillings
Amalgam fillings were initially developed from a combination of silver shavings, zinc, copper, tin, and mercury as a low-cost alternative to gold restorations. Amalgams gained popularity as dentistry became more available to the masses. Amalgams are temperature-sensitive, expanding and contracting when they come into contact with hot and cold. This can cause hairline fractures and tooth sensitivity. Over time, an amalgam-treated tooth can weaken. Amalgams on biting surfaces can change shape with biting and chewing impact. Tiny cracks in the material or between the filling and natural tooth structure can allow bacterial reinvasion, creating a bigger decay problem than you had at first.
Composite fillings are tooth coloured restorations that are bonded with adhesive to your tooth structure. Because of their physical properties, these “tooth-coloured” restorations are much less noticeable that the silver, amalgams ones. Ask your dentist today about your options and for more information about composite fillings.
All-Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain crowns are esthetic and can return structure, strength, and function to a tooth with extensive decay or damage. Porcelain’s translucent quality reflects light similarly to tooth enamel, making the crowned tooth difficult to discern from the ones nature gave you. Designed to fit snugly and function as a healthy tooth, a crown will protect your tooth from further damage and preserve the jaw’s correct natural alignment. Typically, we can design, fit, and place your all-porcelain crown in just a couple of short appointments.