If you need a dental filling in your tooth, then your dentist will likely tell you all about the filling options you can choose from. These options include silver amalgam, gold, porcelain, and resin composite. Both porcelain and resin composite are tooth colored options and they are a wise choice if you want your dental work to appear as natural as possible. However, porcelain and resin composite are often used during different situations. Keep reading to learn about when each of the tooth colored fillings will be utilized.
When Are Porcelain Fillings Used?
Porcelain fillings are made out of the same type of porcelain or ceramic that your dentist makes dental crowns and veneers out of. Ceramic is one of the hardest and strongest materials utilized to create dental work, which is one reason why crowns are made from ceramic. The porcelain fillings are often used in situations where a cavity needs to be removed along a biting surface that retains a great deal of stress. For example, the top biting edge across your molars may need a repair with the assistance of a porcelain filling. Also, extremely large cavities are best repaired with ceramic.
Porcelain fillings are often called inlays or onlays because they are not secured within the teeth like other types of filling materials. The filling must be created by a dental laboratory and then cemented onto your tooth. This can make the filling process expensive and inconvenient. A temporary filling may need to be placed and then removed when the onlay or inlay arrives at your dentist's office. However, the resulting filling will last a long time.
When Are Composite Fillings Placed?
If you want an aesthetically pleasing filling but do not need the strength and size of a porcelain onlay, then a resin filling is a better option for you. In fact, most fillings are created with the use of resin composite material, especially if the filling is placed in an area of the mouth that can be easily seen. Resin composite materials are a mixture of resin and glass, and the material matches the natural color of your teeth.
Resin composite fillings can be made large or small, and the fluid material is placed into the opening where the cavity was drilled out. A UV light is then used to harden or cure the material. If a fairly large filling is needed, then the dentist will create the filling in separate layers. The composite will generally cost more than a traditional amalgam variety, but it will be quite a bit cheaper than a porcelain one.
For more information, contact local professionals like Plymouth Valley Dental Group.
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