Demystifying Fillings

Cavities - though avoiding them is the better idea, what do you do once they are formed??

Cavities maybe classified as shallow or deep. They may even destroy part of the crown of the tooth.
The best way to treat cavities is to remove the rotted, decayed enamel and dentin and fill the cavity with a suitable material.

The most commonly used filling materials are - silver amalgam which is silver in colour or tooth coloured filling materials... A rare dentist may actually suggest a gold filling.

Silver amalgam - Its a mixture of mercury and a lot of other metals. Its been a standard for all fillings. Though it is incredibly strong and lasts a very long time.. its silver colour is a drawback. Hence its popularity is dwindling... Still.. it continues to find use in fillings of the back teeth.



Teeth coloured materials.. these are newer better looking options though they are not always as strong as amalgam. The dentist may use a GIC mix or a composite mixture. GIC actually contains fluorides which prevent caries under the filling.. and composites are available in so many different shades that they mimic natural teeth.





With so many options... you can correct mistakes of the past and flaunt a bright new filling and nobody can actually tell the difference between your natural and filled pearlies.. So go on and get those teeth filled.. and keep smiling healthy!!!