Preserve Natural Teeth and Support Healthy Oral Development with Composite Dental Fillings

When your dentist tells you that you need a filling, you don’t have to feel bad. A dental filling protects your tooth from further decay, restoring the functionality and appearance of your tooth. While metal fillings have been used to fill cavities in the past, dental clinics like North Bay Smiles of Petaluma, California, use tooth-colored (composite) fillings to repair teeth, including cracked tooth repair. Composite resin is metal-free and natural-looking, making it a safe and aesthetically appealing restoration for your smile.

Who needs a dental filling?

Once bacteria accumulate on your teeth, they feed on the food particles left on the teeth, producing acidic substances that erode your enamel. This erosion causes cavities that start as tiny holes but grow into larger pits when left untreated. As the cavity grows deeper, it reaches the pulp that contains sensitive nerves and blood tissues, causing pain that only a root canal or tooth extraction can remedy.

Fillings aren’t only useful when there is decay. Dr. Yvonne Szyperski can use composite fillings to repair cracked or broken teeth.

Why should I get a composite filling?

Dental fillings can be made from various materials, ranging from gold to silver amalgam. While these materials can protect the tooth from further damage, we prefer composite fillings for several reasons. Let’s look at some:

• Safety: White fillings are metal-free, meaning they don’t contract or expand as temperatures change. Plus, they don’t leak mercury, unlike their metal fillings counterparts.
• Natural-looking: Composite resin can be designed to match your natural teeth, restoring your teeth without compromising your natural smile.
• Less-conservative: We only remove a small portion of your tooth to restore it with a composite filling.
• Durable: Composite fillings can last as many as 10 years with proper maintenance. As such, fillings protect your teeth for an extensive period of time.

Do your teeth show symptoms of cavities, or do you need to repair a cracked tooth? Please consider composite fillings before it’s too late. If you are in Petaluma, CA and its environs, please dial (707) 306-8001 to book an appointment with North Bay Smiles for tooth-colored fillings.