At California Dental Solutions, Dr. Stella Patricia Patino does not place dental fillings made from an amalgam of metals. Instead of these silver restorations, she uses white fillings made of a body-safe composite resin. Our Escondido dentist prefers to give her patients composite fillings because they offer several benefits when compared to their amalgam counterparts.
Enhanced Cosmetics
The most obvious benefit of a composite filling is that it is cosmetically more beneficial. Whereas the silver coloring of dental amalgam sticks out, the white shade of composite blends into the natural appearance of the teeth. However, when a patient is given a choice between the two materials, they often do not realize how important this esthetic advantage is.
There is a link between how one perceives their personal quality of life and how closely their physical appearance meets their personal ideal image. Not everyone worries about how their fillings will make them look, but many patients we see feel more confident in their day-to-day life when their dental work looks seamless. A composite filling helps patients look great and feel more self-confident.
Less Alteration Needed
Fillings do not solely replace the decayed portion of a tooth. A certain amount of healthy tooth structure must be removed in order to give the restoration enough room to remain stable.
Dental amalgam tends to take up much more space than composite. When using this material in a filling, more healthy structure has to be removed. Composite fillings, in contrast, do not need as much room, allowing Dr. Patino to make minimal changes to your tooth’s healthy structures.
Minimized Risk of Fracture
Every medical treatment has its risks. For fillings, one of these is that the treated tooth may crack as the filling warps to absorb the pressure of biting and chewing. In spite of being billed as the more durable option, metal fillings put more pressure on the tooth when warping. They are more likely to crack the tooth as a result. The cracking risk with composite fillings is much smaller, minimizing the odds that your tooth will be harmed as a result of receiving restorative dental care.
Contact Us for Composite Dental Fillings
California Dental Solutions offers composite fillings in Escondido, San Marcos, and Rancho Bernardo. These white fillings help you overcome tooth decay with a greater range of benefits than what silver fillings can provide. For more information about Dr. Patino’s approach to restorative dentistry, call our practice and schedule an appointment today!