Skip site navigation
Identifying and taking care of cavities early can prevent the need for more complex and costly dental procedures.
If cavities are found before there has been significant decay, the tooth can often be restored with a filling.
when a tooth has a cavity, the decay will continue to get bigger unless the decayed area is removed and the tooth is properly restored. Leaving cavities untreated can necessitate the need for more complex restorative procedures such as crowns, bridges, root canals, or dental implants.
Tooth Colored Fillings
While metal (amalgam) fillings used to be common, tooth-colored composite material is actually the most recommended filling material.
The composite dental material blend in with the natural tooth and is less noticeable than a metal filling. These tooth-colored fillings are not as affected by heat and cold as the metal fillings, so the patient is therefore less likely to experience temperature-related sensitivity.
It is important to note that another reason composite fillings have replaced amalgam fillings is that they don't contain mercury, which is present in metal fillings.
Many patients may choose to have their older amalgam fillings replaced with tooth-colored fillings for this reason.