Tooth-Colored Fillings – Virginia Beach, VA

Tooth decay and cavities can leave your teeth weak and vulnerable to infection.  Restoring this damage used to mean treatment with amalgam metal fillings that while effective, left embarrassing dark spots in your smile. Today, Dr. Esparza uses durable, natural-looking composite resin to create lifelike restorations that can be color matched to blend in seamlessly with your other teeth. Unlike metal fillings, composite resin does not expand and contract with exposure to heat and cold, so the tooth stays stronger and healthier overall. Furthermore, because tooth-colored fillings in Virginia Beach are a more conservative treatment, Dr. Esparza won’t need to remove as much enamel, thereby protecting more of your tooth’s natural structure.

What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?

Tooth-colored fillings are composite resin restorations that repair the structure of a tooth that has been damaged by decay, allowing it to stay healthier in the long run. Unlike the amalgam metal fillings of yesterday, today’s composite resin fillings are safer and more attractive. Made from a putty-like mixture of ultra-fine plastic and glass particles, they contain no metal, making them potentially safer than their amalgam predecessors. Furthermore, unlike amalgam metal, composite resin fillings can be shaded to match your natural tooth color, so your tooth will look like it never had a cavity in the first place.

The Process of Getting a Tooth-Colored Filling

In most cases, the tooth-colored filling process can be done in just one appointment, which typically lasts about an hour. First, Dr. Esparza will numb your mouth, so you feel comfortable during treatment. Then, once you’re ready, she will remove the decayed sections of your enamel, sanitize the tooth, and apply the color-matched composite resin to it in layers until all the enamel has been restored. Next, she will harden the layers using a painless ultraviolet curing light, which only takes a few seconds. Once the resin has solidified, she will sculpt and reshape it, removing any excess material, and polish the restoration so it blends in perfectly with the tooth. Following your appointment, you will be able to immediately begin using the restored tooth to enjoy a restriction-free diet with no downtime!

The Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings

There are many incredible benefits of tooth-colored fillings over their amalgam metal predecessors, including:

• Natural-looking appearance. In addition to blending in seamlessly with your natural tooth color, composite resin won’t cause the surrounding area of your tooth to appear gray over time like amalgam metal can.
• A more stable attachment due to direct bonding with the tooth.
• Requires the removal of less healthy enamel, preserving more of the natural tooth structure.
• Ideal for patients with metal sensitivity or allergies.
• Less tooth sensitivity. Because the composite resin bonds to your enamel, it is more effective at shielding the tooth’s nerves from aggravating stimuli like heat and cold, which could worsen tooth sensitivity.
• Healthier for patients in the long term. Because metal fillings expand and contract with the temperature of the foods and beverages you consume, this places additional stress on the tooth, increasing the risk of cracks, chips, and fractures.
• Often just as durable as traditional amalgam metal fillings. Most last at least seven years, and require no special maintenance beyond regular brushing, flossing and routine checkups and cleanings from Dr. Esparza.