For many, many years, dentists and their patients had only one option when selecting a material for a dental filling—amalgam. Made of a combination of metals, these fillings did the job of repairing a tooth with decay but there was no getting around the dark spot in your smile. Today, however, Dr. Norman Sommers and Dr. Adam Sommers have a better choice. Your Norwalk dentist uses composite fillings to repair a cavity so your smile remains strong and attractive.

Amalgam Fillings

Amalgam fillings are more commonly called silver or metal fillings. They are made of a mixture of silver, copper, tin and mercury. Almost 50 percent of an amalgam filling is mercury, which is necessary to bind the other metals together. However, mercury is a heavy metal that has raised a number of health concerns over the years. An amalgam filling, nevertheless, is a strong and durable option for cavity repair.

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings—also called composite resin fillings or tooth-colored fillings—are made of ceramic and plastic compounds. As such, these materials can be blended to exactly match the color of your tooth. No one but you and your dentist in Norwalk will ever know you’ve had a cavity repaired with a tooth-colored filling.

Amalgam vs. Composite Fillings

Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefit, composite fillings offer a number of other advantages over amalgam fillings. For example, although both types of fillings necessitate removing some of the tooth’s natural structure, a tooth-colored filling requires far less preparation. This means less time under the dentist’s drill for you and a more conservative method of treatment for Drs. Sommers.

In addition, a composite filling actually bonds to the remaining tooth structure. This makes for a stronger tooth that is better able to withstand the normal pressures of biting and chewing. Amalgam fillings, on the hand, are merely wedged into the space that your dentist drills away. For this reason, amalgam fillings can weaken, become loose, and allow bacteria to enter and eventually cause further decay and damage. A composite filling also protects the tooth from the effects of temperature changes and helps to prevent the tooth from cracking.

Call Your Norwalk Dentist Today

To learn more about the advantages of tooth colored fillings, or to schedule an appointment at Sommers Family Dentistry, contact our office today. Sommers Family Dentistry proudly restores smiles daily throughout Norwalk, OH, Monroeville, Milan, Collins, Wakeman, New London, and nearby areas.