Cosmetic Dentistry: Tooth Colored Filling

During the last decade, the use of tooth colored filling, or composite resins, has become a common procedure in many dental offices. We use the composite resins exclusively due to their superior esthetics and compatibility with the remaining tooth structure.

Composite resins are bonded into the teeth, which makes the final filling strong. It will not conduct heat and cold like the old silver amalgams, so there is less sensitivity. Less tooth structure is removed as well, so for many reasons, we feel these restorations are superior, along with the obvious advantage of esthetics.

The fee for these tooth colored fillings is higher than for silver amalgam, due to the increased time, labor, and materials needed to place them. We feel like the long term benefits to your teeth are well worth the extra expense. It is important to know that we do not replace silver fillings just because they are old. If they show signs of decay or weakening however, we do remove them and replace them with composites.