Tooth Colored Fillings

Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings

There is no doubt that the best type of filling is no filling at all and at SmileHaven Dental, we work hard to keep both your mouth and your body healthy so you won’t need fillings. However, if you find yourself with a cavity that needs a filling, you have several choices. Silver fillings or amalgam have been the norm for more than 150 years and some dentists still use this material to fill the cavity in your tooth. However, we practice holistic dentistry and would never expose your body to the potential mercury that may be found in metal fillings. Instead, Dr. Stephen Chan uses a tooth-colored filling for our patients. Dr. Chan has earned his reputation as one of the top bio-compatible dentists in the area.

Tooth-Colored FillingWhat Is A Tooth-Colored Dental Filling?

Tooth-colored fillings work the same way as the traditional metal fillings but they are metal-free restorations made of a blend of plastic resins and silica fillers. They bond securely to your tooth’s structure, are durable, and resistant to fractures from chewing. The process may take a little longer than for metal fillings because Dr. Chan has to keep the tooth very dry and clean while the tooth is being filled.

Benefits of Choosing Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings

Dr. Chan and his patients choose tooth-colored dental fillings for various reasons including:

Aesthetically Pleasing – Tooth-colored fillings are more aesthetically pleasing than metal fillings. Made of a composite blend of substances mimic the natural qualities of real teeth, it blends seamlessly with the surrounding tooth and is virtually unnoticeable to anyone unaware of your fillings.

Increased Confidence – Tooth-colored fillings restore the teeth to a brilliant, cavity-free appearance. You’ll be able to smile with confidence, knowing your teeth look natural and metal-free.

Replace Old Metal Fillings – You can have your existing mercury fillings that have decay and existing cracks and fractures replaced with tooth-colored fillings to both restore the appearance and the strength of previously treated teeth.

Safer for Teeth – Because metal fillings tend to expand and contract with the changes in temperature, they can put pressure on your teeth causing them to crack and even break. Tooth-colored fillings don’t expand and contract and are therefore safer for your teeth.

Helps Strengthen Your Teeth – The bonding process that occurs with tooth-colored fillings helps strengthen your treated tooth, giving your overall better oral health.

Shaded To Match Your Original Tooth Color – One of the best benefits of using tooth-colored fillings is that Dr. Chan is able to match the shade of the resin to your actual toothy, giving you a perfectly natural smile with no notice of cavities.

Preserves Teeth’s Natural Color – Sometimes silver amalgam fillings can cause your teeth to change colors to a grayish tint over a long period of time. Tooth-colored fillings will not discolor your natural teeth.

Long-Lasting -Tooth-colored fillings are strong and with proper care, may last as long as 15 years.

Preserves More of the Tooth – Traditional silver fillings require the dentist to re-shape the structure of the tooth making a series of undercuts that help form a structural bond with the silver. This means the dentist is required to remove healthy parts of the tooth. With tooth-colored fillings, the substance forms a physical and mechanical bond directly to the tooth with no undercuts needed. This helps maintain the strength of the tooth and minimizes the likelihood of future breakage.

The Smilehaven Dental Center Difference

One of the things that sets us apart from other La Mesa and El Cajon, CA cosmetic dentists is that we place a strong emphasis on holistic dentistry. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, holistic dentistry is a focus on a person’s entire body during dental care instead of just the mouth. We utilize bio-compatible whole body dentistry and think about how your dental condition and our treatment will affect your systemic health. We’re strong believers that a person’s oral health is deeply tied with his or her systemic health and with the help of our holistic dentistry, we’ll have both your mouth and your body feeling as good as ever!

Schedule an Appointment

If you’re interested in fillings or any of our other cosmetic dentistry services, we encourage you to stop by and visit us sometime! To schedule an appointment with your holistic dentist in La Mesa feel free to fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at (619) 464-2801. Our SmileHaven Dental Center team provides patients with confidence through tooth-colored fillings from La Mesa, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Santee, and many other surrounding areas throughout San Diego.