Tooth Fillings - White Fillings

If you require a restoration, or wish to replace your existing silver restorations, you may be pleased to discover that at Epsom Dentalcare we only use white coloured, high quality materials. This ensures your teeth do not have that ‘silver look’ when you laugh or smile and your restorations enjoy a long life span. White fillings do not contain mercury and are ideal in achieving long term strength in filled teeth.

There are a few options available, each with its own advantages.

Composite fillings 
At Epsom Dentalcare, we usually recommend composite resin fillings for the front teeth. Before the composite filling is placed, the decay is removed and the tooth is cleaned. The composite is then placed in increments and set with a blue light. Once it is set, the filling can be polished. Some advantages of having white fillings include:

• The composite filling material does not contain any mercury, but rather acrylic and glass.
• The filling material can be coloured to match the tooth.
• Composite filling material is hard at the completion of the procedure, so it can be chewed upon immediately.
• A smaller preparation area is required, meaning less of the tooth structure is lost.

Glass ionomer cement
Glass ionomer cement is a tooth-coloured filling material that bonds to enamel and dentine.

After the decay is removed and the tooth cleaned, this material is injected into the cavity and allowed to set. Once set, the material can be polished. Glass ionomer cement is usually placed on areas to protect them, rather than make teeth strong. Some advantages include:

• Glass ionomer releases a small amount of fluoride over time preventing decay under and around the filling.
• The material chemically bonds with tooth tissue.
• Can be coloured to match your existing teeth.
• Can be used in conjunction with composite to form a strong tooth-coloured filling.

White fillings are not always appropriate for teeth with large cavities. An alternative would be to place porcelain restorations such as inlays or crowns. The life expectancy of a white filling can depend greatly on where it is in your mouth and how heavily your teeth come together when you bite. Here at Epsom Dentalcare, our team of dental professionals, Dr Scott Waghorn, Dr James Philpott, Dr John Burford and Dr Lance Mundy, can advise you on the life expectancy of your fillings.

To find out more, or to book an appointment, contact our friendly receptionists, Alana and Emily on (09) 524 0424 today.