Tooth-Colored Fillings in Belchertown
If you chipped the pain from your walls or repaired a dent in your car, it’s likely you would want the new paint to match. Cover a spot on a white wall with red paint or a red car with white paint, doesn’t look great. You’d probably think your house painter or body shop did terrible work. For years, patients have accepted metallic fillings despite the fact that they completely change your esthetic. If you don’t want your wall or car to different colors of paint, why would you let your dentist restore your teeth without matching the color? At Valley Dentists of Belchertown, MA we don’t think you should. That’s why we offer tooth colored fillings that look and feel great.
Metal Fillings
Fillings made from a metal amalgam have been used for years, but our practice believes the way it’s always been isn’t necessarily the way it should always be. Metallic fillings have fallen out of favor with dental practices for many reasons. Some of the most common concerns are esthetics, excessive tooth loss, cracking, fracturing and falling out, metal allergies, and mercury toxicity.
The esthetic concern is plain to see. Metal fillings don’t look great especially if they’re visible when you smile or talk, but many people don’t realize that in order to bond amalgam fillings, more of your natural tooth needs to be removed than is necessary to make room for the filling. Amalgam fillings are also more like to crack, fracture, or fall out. Because metal is so dissimilar to the materials that make up our teeth, the bond between the filling and tooth is weak. A small percentage of patients have metal allergies that cause discomfort in the area around the tooth. If you have ever had a reaction to metallic jewelry, you may have an adverse reaction to metal fillings as well. Lastly, most amalgam fillings are still comprised of about 50% mercury which is a highly toxic element. The research into long term health effects of mercury fillings is inconclusive, but the potential for mercury poisoning is present.
The Tooth Colored Filling Advantage
Unlike metallic fillings, tooth colored fillings are made form a composite resin that can be shaded to match your tooth, so they look natural. The resin material creates a stronger bond with your tooth enamel meaning that it requires the removal of less of your tooth to create a tight bond and it is less likely to break, fracture or fall out because of the tight bond. Finally, the resin fillings do not typically cause allergic reactions, and there is no risk of mercury poisoning.
Come See Your 01007 Dentist Today
Regular dental checkups and hygiene visits are essential, if you want to avoid getting fillings of any kind, so call to schedule an appointment today. If you have metallic fillings you want replaced, schedule a consultation with Dr. Mark Medaugh to determine whether replacement is a good option for you. Our convenient Belchertown, MA 01007 office welcomes patients from surrounding communities including Ware, Granby, Ludlow, Warren, Hardwick, Gilbertville, Hadley, Amherst, and Palmer.
