15 Cornerstone Ct #3A, Plantsville, CT 06479
Southington Dentistry | Clenching and Grinding, Dental Crowns and Sedation Dentistry
(860) 263-0401
Southington Dentistry | Dental Bridges, Plantsville Dental Implants and Dental Fillings

Dental Fillings in Plantsville

Dental Fillings

Composite Fillings

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.

The cost is moderate and depends on the size of the filling and the technique used by the dentist to place it in the prepared tooth. It generally takes longer to place a composite filling than what is required for an amalgam filling. Composite fillings require a cavity that can be kept clean and dry during filling and they are subject to stain and discoloration over time.

Southington Dentistry | Cosmetic Dentistry, Teeth Whitening and Dental Bridges

Finished air abrasion filling

Southington Dentistry | Plantsville Dental Implants, Dental Crowns and Dental Fillings

Cavities going into tooth

Southington Dentistry | Drill-Less Dentistry, Jaw Pain TMJ and Cosmetic Dentistry

Cavities in back molar before air abrasion

Southington Dentistry | Dental Crowns, Root Canals and Sedation Dentistry

Removing small amount of tooth without needles, drills, or pain

Amalgam Fillings

Used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients.

Dental amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements. Although dental amalgam continues to be a safe, commonly used restorative material, some concern has been raised because of its mercury content. However, the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe for use in filling teeth.

While questions have arisen about the safety of dental amalgam relating to its mercury content, the major U.S. and international scientific and health bodies, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, among others have been satisfied that dental amalgam is a safe, reliable and effective restorative material.

Because amalgam fillings can withstand very high chewing loads, they are particularly useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth where chewing load is greatest. They are also useful in areas where a cavity preparation is difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement, such as in deep fillings below the gum line. Amalgam fillings, like other filling materials, are considered biocompatible—they are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response.

Disadvantages of amalgam include possible short-term sensitivity to hot or cold after the filling is placed. The silver-colored filling is not as natural looking as one that is tooth-colored, especially when the restoration is near the front of the mouth, and shows when the patient laughs or speaks. And to prepare the tooth, the dentist may need to remove more tooth structure to accommodate an amalgam filling than for other types of fillings.

Dental Emergencies Welcome

Same day dental emergency appointments available.

Call today!

Convenient Location

Southington Dentistry

15 Cornerstone Ct #3A
Plantsville, CT 06479
New Patients: (860) 263-0401

Office Hours

Monday
8am - 8pm
Tuesday
8am - 5pm
Wednesday
8am - 7pm
Thursday
8am - 8pm
Friday
8am - 5pm
Saturday
8am - 1:30pm*
*(Select Saturdays)
Sunday
Closed
Southington Dentistry | Plantsville Sixth Month Smiles, Contouring and Bonding and Dentures
Southington Dentistry | Teeth Whitening, Sedation Dentistry and Clenching and Grinding

Follow Us Online!