It’s something that we all wish to avoid but for most of us, dental fillings will become a way of life. For most people, it’s about keeping them to a minimum – even though they have become much easier to withstand than they may have been several years ago.
Of course, as anyone who has studied the dentist industry will testify, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. It’s complicated to say the least and while one Cheltenham dentist may offer one procedure, a different patient may be provided with an alternative one depending on the circumstances.
To highlight how many differences there are in relation to this, we have comprised the following breakdown of each of the main fillings.
Silver fillings
If you’ve been offered a silver filling, it may have been referred to as an amalgam.
We should start with the disadvantages here; as they are probably the main point which springs to mind when you are considering this decision. Firstly, and it should really go without saying, they are silver in colour. Ultimately, they will stand out and won’t blend in like alternative fillings. They can also discolour quite easily, while on a lot of occasions your dentist may have to remove some of your existing teeth to fit the filling.
However, on a more positive note, they can last for up to fifteen years. Additionally, they are very strong and rarely break, while they happen to be one of the cheapest options on the market.
Cast gold fillings
What comes after silver? Well, there’s more differences involving gold fillings than you might imagine. In terms of the advantages, they share very similar ones to the silver alternatives – although some people will view a gold filling as prestigious as well, so there’s that to take into account.
The disadvantages is where things start to vary though. Like anything coated in gold, they can be more expensive, while a lot of people don’t realise that they can require more visits because of the added complexity. It’s also worth mentioning that some patients might be at risk from galvanic shock if they already have a silver filling – with the two metals sometimes not agreeing with each other and causing a short burst of pain.
Tooth coloured composites
The final type we’ll look at is the most modern, and probably one of the most popular nowadays.
Something that you may have noticed so far is that there has been a common drawback among “traditional” fillings; they don’t tend to blend to your existing teeth’s color.
Well, this all changes with tooth colored composites. As the name probably gave away from the start, they allow your fillings to practically go unnoticed.
As well as the above, these fillings tend to be even stronger, as they chemically bond to your tooth structure. When you also consider the fact that you don’t need to remove as much as your existing tooth structure, all of the advantages become blatantly obvious.
Of course, all of the above does come at a slightly higher cost. They can also take a little longer to fit – but these are drawbacks that most patients are happy to accept when put in perspective.