Composite Restorations (Tooth Colored Fillings)
What are composite fillings?
Benefits of a Tooth Colored Filling
– Restores Tooth Function and Structure: The filling rebuilds the part of the tooth that was lost to decay or damage, allowing you to chew normally with that tooth again.
– Natural Appearance: Composite resin comes in many shades, so we closely match it to your tooth color. The result looks like your natural tooth – no obvious dark or silver spots – which is great for an attractive smile, especially for front teeth or visible areas.
– Preserves More Tooth: Composite fillings bond directly to the tooth, which often allows us to remove less healthy tooth structure compared to an amalgam filling. This conservative approach helps preserve as much of your natural tooth as possible.
– Versatile and Repairable: Composite can be used to fix chips, wear, or gaps in teeth (not just cavities). It bonds to enamel and dentin, and if it chips later, it can often be repaired or added onto in the same manner.
Common Risks or Side Effects of Composite Fillings
– Post-Treatment Sensitivity: It’s common for a tooth to be a bit sensitive to cold, heat, or pressure after a filling. This sensitivity may last a few days to a couple of weeks. It should gradually improve. During this time, avoiding extremely hot or cold foods on that tooth can help. If sensitivity is severe or lingers beyond 2 weeks, let us know – occasionally fillings need adjustment or there could be another issue.
– Risk of Needing Further Treatment: If the decay was very deep or close to the nerve, there is a small chance the tooth’s pulp (nerve) could become inflamed or infected after the filling. This could require additional treatment like a root canal down the line. We do everything possible to avoid this, but it can happen unpredictably if bacteria were very close to the nerve.
– Fillings Can Wear or Break: Composite fillings are strong, but not indestructible. Over years of use, especially if you grind your teeth or chew very hard foods or ice, a filling could chip, crack, or wear down. You should avoid using filled teeth (or any teeth) to open packages or bite extremely hard objects. Generally, composites last many years but may eventually need repair or replacement.
– Marginal Staining or Leakage: Over time, the edges of a composite filling can slightly stain or pick up color from things like coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco. Also, a tiny gap can sometimes develop between the filling and tooth (due to wear or polymerization shrinkage of the resin when it was placed). This could allow new decay to enter if oral hygiene is poor. Regular check-ups help catch any issues early.
– Allergic Reaction (Rare): It’s very rare, but a few patients may have sensitivity or allergy to components in the composite resin or bonding agent.
Alternatives to Composite Fillings
– Amalgam Filling: The traditional silver-colored filling (amalgam) is an alternative. Amalgam is very durable and sometimes preferred for large cavities in back teeth. However, it is not tooth-colored and involves metals (including mercury in a safe, stable alloy form). Many patients and dentists now favor composite for the aesthetic and conservative advantages, but amalgam is still a viable option in some cases.
– Inlay or Onlay: If a cavity or fracture is large, a lab-fabricated restoration might be recommended. These can be porcelain or gold and are cemented into the tooth. They are more expensive and take two visits (since they’re made in a lab or with CAD/CAM), but they can be more durable for extensive decay while saving more tooth than a full crown.
– Crown: If the tooth is severely weakened or a very large portion is damaged, a full coverage dental crown might be a better long-term solution. A crown covers the whole tooth, protecting it from fracture. We typically place crowns when not enough tooth structure remains to support a filling.
– No Treatment: If you choose not to treat a cavity or damaged tooth, you should be aware that the decay or crack will likely worsen. Cavities do not heal on their own; they get bigger and can reach the nerve, causing pain and infection. A small filling now is usually preferable to a larger filling, root canal, or extraction later. We generally do not recommend simply observing active decay without any intervention.
Post-Procedure Care Instructions
– Until Numbness Wears Off: If you received anesthesia, your lip, cheek, and tongue may be numb for a few hours after the appointment. Avoid chewing on that side, and be careful not to bite your tongue or cheek. Wait until the numbness subsides before eating.
– Oral Hygiene: Care for your filled tooth just like your others. Brush twice a day and floss daily. Well-done composite fillings seal the tooth, so you can even floss that area normally (the filling is contoured to the tooth’s shape). Good hygiene will prevent new cavities around the edges of the filling.
– Diet and Chewing: Once you are no longer numb, you can eat on the filled tooth. The composite is fully hardened by the curing light when you leave, unlike some dental materials that set slowly. However, if it’s a large filling, chewing excessively hard foods (like ice, hard candy, or very hard nuts) on that tooth might risk cracking it – so use common sense. Generally, normal eating is fine.
– Sensitivity Management: If your tooth is sensitive in the days after the filling, using a sensitive toothpaste (with fluoride and potassium nitrate) can help. Also, try to chew on the opposite side if possible and avoid very hot or cold items for a few days. Sensitivity usually improves steadily. Contact us if it’s getting worse instead of better.
– When to Call: If you feel the filling is high (you keep hitting it first when you bite down) or you have any sharp edges, please let us know. A quick adjustment can be done to correct the bite or smooth rough areas. Don’t “wait and see” if something feels significantly off, as a high filling can cause tooth soreness. Also, if you experience intense pain or prolonged sensitivity, inform us – it’s uncommon, but sometimes a tooth that was very deep with decay might need further care.