Rockville Dentist Recommends Tooth Colored Fillings
Are you afraid to smile or laugh because of dark colored fillings in your mouth? Dr. Victor Siegel in Rockville, Maryland offers tooth colored fillings that can eliminate this embarrassment. The white fillings are used to not only fill new cavities, but also to replace old silver fillings that are no longer functioning.
Amalgam, or silver fillings were used by many dentists for many years because the material was strong and held up well to chewing and biting pressure. Today, however, many dentists, like Dr. Siegel, are exclusively treating cavities with tooth-colored composite restorations.
Amalgam fillings were once considered the norm in the dental field, however advances led to the development of a more natural looking white composite filling. Although both types of restorations serve the same purpose-that is to fill a cavity and restore function to your tooth-the white composite filling has many advantages that can give you back your smile.
The composite fillings will not expand and contract, which could allow additional bacteria to get in under the restoration and even stress or crack the tooth itself, as sometimes happens with amalgam fillings. The process of preparing the white colored filling involves cleaning out the decay, layering the composite material, and then using a special light to harden, or seal it. This last part of the procedure is how Dr. Siegel prevents bacteria from reentering the newly treated tooth.
The most noticeable advantage to a composite filling, of course, is aesthetics. Dr. Siegel is able to match the shade of your new restoration to those of your surrounding teeth, creating a seamless illusion of white teeth. A natural looking tooth always looks better than a silver filling. This is especially true if the tooth with the cavity is near the front of the mouth. If you are no longer concerned that people will see metal when you eat, smile or just open your mouth, your confidence will improve also.
The photo below shows before and after images of one of Dr. Siegel’s patients. Wouldn’t you like to look in the mirror and see beautiful white teeth such as these, instead of dark metal, reminding you of your cavities?