Tooth-Colored Fillings Waco

Why Do I Have a Cavity?

The short answer to that question is because you eat and drink. Every time you sit down to a meal or have a snack, the bacteria in your mouth—and there are millions—have a meal, too, so to speak. As bacteria live and grow, they excrete acids and other toxins that can begin to erode the enamel on your teeth. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing between teeth can help to remove a large number of bacteria and their nasty excretions. However, without proper oral hygiene, demineralization of enamel can begin, and if left unchecked, this process can lead to a cavity.

What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?

Fortunately, there is a solution that is as cosmetically effective as it is strong. These fillings are just as durable as silver amalgam fillings. They offer the additional advantage of bonding to the remaining tooth structure; silver fillings had to be wedged into the drilled-out space in a tooth. This bond makes a tooth-colored filling far less likely to cause tooth cracking or allow leakage around the filling.

Tooth-colored fillings are made of composite resin, which is a mixture of medical-grade plastic and powdered glass filler. Different shades of composite resin can be blended to exactly match the color of your tooth.

Placing a Tooth-Colored Filling

First, the tooth and surrounding tissue are anesthetized so you don’t feel any discomfort while decay is removed, and the tooth is prepared. Then, a weak acid is brushed on your tooth to roughen the surface—similar to sandpapering a piece of wood before painting. A bonding agent is then applied, and the composite resin material is shaped layer after layer. Each layer is dried with a curing light. Your newly repaired tooth will look, feel, and perform as well as your other natural teeth.