Fix Cavities & Enhance Your Smile Without Metal
Tooth decay occurs when acid produced by the bacteria in your mouth eats away at your enamel. Untreated damage and decay in your teeth makes them vulnerable to loss and infection. In times past, metal fillings such as silver (amalgam) fillings were the go-to method for repairing dental damage, but the metal used in these fillings causes their own issues.
Fortunately, Dr. Grivas offers his patients tooth-colored fillings as a better and safer alternative to metal fillings. Read on to learn more about this restorative solution and its benefits.
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Tooth-colored fillings, also called mercury-free fillings, white fillings, and composite fillings, are a realistic solution that neatly blends with your natural tooth color. While metal fillings can protect your teeth from harmful bacteria, they’re highly noticeable and often harmful in the long run.
Tooth-colored fillings are made from non-metal materials. The materials commonly used include plastic resin mixed with quartz and porcelain. With tooth-colored fillings, patients who need to have decay and damage repaired avoid many of the pitfalls of metal fillings, while enjoying significant benefits.
Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
- Natural Appearance – Tooth-colored fillings are customized to look like your natural teeth, helping to boost your smile’s appearance and your self-confidence.
- Non-Staining – These non-metallic fillings won’t stain or darken your teeth over time.
- Reduces Sensitivity – Unlike metal fillings, tooth-colored fillings won’t expand and contract upon contact with hot and cold foods and drinks. This helps prevent sensitivity and weakening of the tooth’s wall due to constant pressure being exerted on the inside of the tooth.
- Non-Toxic – The lack of metal means there’s no mercury, lead, or other potentially toxic metals.
- Insulated Against Electricity – The materials used in tooth-colored fillings are insulators that don’t conduct electricity. This prevents galvanic shock, which occurs when two metal fillings of different compositions interact and an electric charge is generated, shocking the inside of your mouth.
- Sets in Seconds – Composite fillings are applied in layers and cured with a special handheld blue light. They usually take 20 seconds or less to harden, so you don’t have to wait to eat and drink after your procedure.
- Enamel Preservation – Tooth-colored fillings require less of your natural tooth material be removed to make room for them, so you can preserve more of your natural tooth’s structure.
The Tooth-Colored Filling Process
Initial Consultation
Before you can receive your tooth-colored fillings, Dr. Grivas will collect some vital information about you during an initial consultation. Some of the information Dr. Grivas will collect includes:
- Medical history
- Current level of oral health
- Smile goals
- Whether or not you’ll benefit from sedation
Based on this information, Dr. Grivas will be able to determine if fillings are right for you.
Preparation
Once you and Dr. Grivas have decided to go forward with fillings, we’ll match the color of the material to the color of your teeth. Then, we’ll clean your teeth to ensure the material has a clean base to adhere to. Afterward, we’ll apply a local anesthetic to the soft-tissues around your teeth so you don’t feel any pain during the procedure. Once we’re sure the anesthetic is working, alongside sedation if you choose it, Dr. Grivas will remove any decayed or damaged material to make room for the filling.
Installing Your Tooth-Colored Fillings
Dr. Grivas will apply your filling in layers, hardening each one with the handheld blue light. Dr. Grivas will make sure your fillings look and feel like your natural teeth by shaping and polishing the resin. Once your filling has been applied, you’ll be free to leave our Sacramento office and enjoy your fully restored smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of your fillings will depend on a number of factors including the amount of fillings needed, the extent of the damage, and your insurance coverage. We recommend contacting your dental insurance provider ahead of time to learn what your plan will cover. We also offer third-party financing from CareCredit and LendingClub to help our patients afford their treatment.
Tooth-colored fillings are built to last around seven years, but they can last ten to twelve years if you maintain regular oral hygiene and keep up with your bi-annual dental exams at our Sacramento office.
Tooth-colored fillings cannot be whitened. If you want to undergo teeth whitening, be sure to do so before you receive your fillings, so they match your smile.
Seamlessly Restore Your Smile, Call Our Office Today!
With tooth-colored fillings from Dr. Grivas, patients can now enjoy a safer, stronger, and more enduring alternative that helps them maintain the seamlessly natural look they deserve. To learn more about these non-metallic fillings, call our Sacramento office by dialing (916) 929-9222. You can also request an appointment online, and a friendly team member will get back to you shortly.
