Dental fillings provide relief from tooth decay, protect against further damage to teeth, and offer immunity against infections. There are various filling materials available – gold, silver amalgam (made up of mercury mixed with an alloy of silver, copper, tin and zinc), composite resin or glass ionomer fillers.

Location and extent of decay, cost of filling material, insurance coverage and the advice of your dentist all play an integral part in determining which dental fillings Adelaide type is right for you.

Metal Fillings

Metal fillings, commonly referred to as dental amalgam, have been utilized for over 150 years. Composed of mercury, silver, tin and copper alloy, amalgam is both durable and relatively affordable.

Metal fillings may stand out and draw unwanted attention to the area being treated, while their expansion and contraction in response to temperature changes may create cracks in teeth or between fillings and the tooth that allow bacterial invasion.

Tooth-coloured composite resin fillings offer an aesthetic alternative to metal fillings while being generally less expensive and require less healthy tooth structure to be removed during placement than amalgam ones. They may even help relieve hot and cold sensitivity. Unfortunately, composite fillings do not offer as much durability compared to their metal counterparts and may wear away faster; additionally, they don’t protect against bacteria invasion as effectively either.

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are tooth-coloured resins that adhere and harden onto teeth, making them suitable for repairs to chips, filling cavities, or creating veneers. Their natural appearance makes them preferable over amalgam fillings which contain mercury.

Your dentist will first numb the area where the composite will be applied and use a substance to open pores in your tooth to form a stronger bond. Next, they apply putty-like composite and shape it, so it blends in seamlessly with your tooth’s appearance before hardening and setting with special light.

Composite fillings offer quick and minimal drilling of healthy tooth structure compared to other tooth repair procedures, making this option suitable for most situations. This type of dental fillings Adelaide may last 5 – 10+ years with proper care, though eventually replacement may become necessary; regular visits for oral hygiene check-ups will extend their longevity as much as possible.

Glass Ionomer Fillings

Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) is an adhesive dental restorative material comprised of fluoro-aluminosilicate glass powder and polyacrylic acid liquid, designed to release fluoride slowly over time and protect your tooth by helping prevent future cavities. GIC’s are specially designed to slowly release fluoride over time for increased cavity prevention and protection.

Your dentist will combine powder and liquid in a special glass mixing bottle using an agate spatula to avoid stainless steel getting abraded and contaminating the mixture. Furthermore, this allows them to isolate ionomer and control moisture content more accurately.

Glass Ionomer fillings offer many advantages over mercury amalgam fillings, such as no silver and low risk of toxicity. While they have their benefits, these ionomer fillings may not be as strong or visually appealing compared to composite resin molar fillings; thus they should only be reserved for teeth that experience heavy pressure from biting forces. Visiting your dentist more often might also be required since their aesthetic appeal may not match that of composite resin fillings; nevertheless, they make for a good mercury amalgam alternative!

Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap designed to completely cover and restore damaged teeth, restoring their shape, size, strength and aesthetic appearance. A crown can protect an already damaged tooth from further decay while simultaneously correcting its appearance; alternatively, it may reshape misshapen or discoloured teeth and even replace missing ones altogether.

A crown may be required when damage to a tooth is too extensive for dental fillings Adelaide and root canal treatment, to support weak or broken teeth, or large existing restorations that need removal (these may sometimes be replaced by inlays instead). A crown may also be necessary due to severe acid erosion which exposes more vulnerable parts of the tooth that have already suffered damage.

Dental crowns are typically constructed from porcelain. There are various varieties of porcelain used, but the most frequently employed is called “feldspathic porcelain.” This translucent material allows the natural tooth colour to show through, making for a great way to enhance aesthetics when placed directly over metal cores such as PFM or gold.