We only offer biocompatible white (tooth coloured) fillings rather than metal amalgam fillings in our office. These materials conservatively fill cavities, restore chipped teeth, and perform cosmetic bonding procedures.
What is a cavity and how does it happen?
Here’s the story in simple terms. We all have bacteria in our mouths, good and bad. The bad bacteria only eat sugars, not proteins or fats. We are all aware that sugar is sticky. Without thorough and regular dental cleanings, these sugars and bacteria can find hard to clean hiding spots within the mouth and grooves of teeth to grow and multiply. These bugs metabolize the sugar in their bellies and let out waste products such as acid. This acid dissolves/demineralizes the Calcium in the teeth, and this is evident on the x rays. As this progresses, you may even get a complete breakdown of the enamel or dentin, forming a hole in the tooth - or a cavity!
We prefer to call our tooth colored fillings - restorations. We don’t simply fill a hole, we clean out the decayed portions, prepare the tooth to ideal angles for strength and retention, then place the white filling material to mimic the original natural tooth color, shape, and contour. It is almost impossible to tell the natural part of the tooth from the filling.
