Dental Fillings
Dental cavities can be filled with several options of dental restorative materials.
Some tooth-coloured material are dental composites, glass-ionomer and ceramic inlays. Amalgam is the metallic look and strong restorative option which is not most popular these days due to mercury-release concerns.
Tooth-coloured material being aesthetically pleasing and very durable are replacing Amalgam but there are places for use of Amalgam that still proves to be the best choice. For example, under the crown when compressive strength matters and there is no chance of mercury release while sealed under a crown.
Each restorative material has characteristics that may make it more suitable for some scenarios better than others. Glass-ionomer can chemically attach to the inner layer of teeth and releases fluoride so good for deep spots but not wear-resistant enough on the chewing surface.
Sandwich technique is when we use Glass-ionomer under the composite to have the best function of both materials in some situations.
Composite Resin Fillings
Created from bits of glass floating in a resin, a composite resin filling is very good replacement to traditional restorative material as long as the correct incremental technique is applied. The reason we utilise this kind of filling is that it offers extra support to the tooth’s structure. Composite resin fillings represent an effective, long-lasting solution. We can provide you with a range of colour choices so we can match the filling to the natural shade of your tooth.
Tooth Coloured Fillings
Comparable to composite resin fillings, GIC fillings are also composed of glass pieces and are tooth coloured. Each filling also includes an organic acid that initiates the hardening of the filling when it is joined with the glass particles. This type of filling chemically adheres to the affected tooth and discharges fluoride to avert leaking around the filling and to help shield the tooth from decay. Though composite resin fillings are stronger and often look better, GIC fillings provide more biocompatibility and better chemical seal to the tooth structure.
For some cases we have to use both GIC and composite to restore deep cavities/complex scenarios which we will show and explain step by step in photos usually we take on each step.