The aim of modern dentistry is to allow you to hang on to your natural teeth for as long as possible. At Smilecraft in Stevenage, we count it as a success if you get to keep all your pearly whites for your entire life.
And one way you can do this is by having white fillings instead of amalgam. For decades, amalgam has been the preferred filling material because it is quick and easy and does a pretty good job. But the truth is that now white fillings do a much better job. There are three main reasons for this, besides the fact that white fillings look so much nicer and don’t announce your dental history to the world when you laugh.
White fillings make your teeth stronger
When we put in amalgam fillings, we have to take away more of the healthy tooth material. Amalgam cannot bond with the tooth, and so places stresses on the thinner tooth shell that can, over time, cause cracking. With white fillings, we just have to remove the decayed material. This, plus the fact that the filling is bonded to the tooth, means that there is much more of your own tooth left in place and this makes it stronger and more able to cope with the daily stresses and strains of chewing and biting.
White fillings resist decay better
Amalgam cannot bond with your own natural tooth material. This means that when we put in an amalgam filling, it sits in your tooth with no seal, so there is always going to be a miniscule gap between the filling and your tooth through which bacteria can sneak in to create more decay. White fillings actually bond with your teeth, and the resultant seal prevents bacteria getting in.
Better chewing
Amalgam fillings cannot be shaped. They lie flat within the tooth. White composite fillings are cured and then we shape them to resemble the natural contours of your own teeth, so that you get a far better chewing surface. This puts less strain on your teeth.
We can fill new cavities with white fillings, and we can also replace your old amalgam fillings.