Tooth-Colored Fillings – Las Cruces, NM
Address Tooth Decay the Discreet Way
Cavities are dental infections that will only get worse without the care of a trained dental professional, and traditional fillings are often made from dark materials that show clearly in the patient’s smile like amalgam. Thankfully, tooth-colored fillings are made from composite resin that looks exactly like real enamel and bonds readily with healthy tooth structures. Here’s a brief guide to how tooth-colored fillings work, but please feel free to contact the team at Painted Skies Dental Center if you’d like to know more.
Why Choose Painted Skies Dental Center for Tooth-Colored Fillings?
- Skilled and Compassionate Dental Team
- Restorations Indistinguishable from Natural Enamel
- Insurance Welcomed
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Tooth-colored fillings are used to repair dental structures that have been compromised by decay or injury, protecting teeth from further damage and keeping them healthier in the long run. These restorations are made from composite resin, a blend of ultra-fine glass and plastic particles that contains no metal. This substance can be shaded to match the color and luster of natural enamel, resulting in restorations that cannot be distinguished from real tooth structure. Patients who receive tooth-colored fillings will find that their pearly whites do not look like they ever had cavities in the first place.
The Process of Getting a Tooth-Colored Filling
A tooth-colored filling can typically be placed in a single appointment that takes about an hour, but exact treatment times vary. The process begins with Dr. Ortiz administering an appropriate anesthetic to ensure that the patient feels no pain. Then, our dentist will carefully remove decayed or otherwise compromised parts of the enamel before sanitizing the tooth. After that, our team will apply color-matched composite resin in layers until the shape and structure of the enamel have been restored. Dr. Ortiz will then harden the resin using an ultraviolet light, which should take only a few seconds. After we trim and polish the new restoration, you’ll only need to wait until the anesthetic wears off before you can resume using the tooth normally.
The Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings offer an array of impressive benefits such as:
- A natural appearance that traditional amalgam cannot match.
- Not causing the treated tooth to turn gray over time.
- Requiring the removal of less enamel during the placement process.
- Eliminating the possibility of allergic reactions caused by metal.
- Not readily expanding or contracting due to temperature shifts, resulting in less stress to the tooth.
- Lasting up to seven years before needing replacement, making tooth-colored fillings comparable in longevity to amalgam restorations.
- Requiring the same oral hygiene regimen as natural enamel.