Cavity Fillings Novi, MI
Protect your teeth against further decay.
When cavities or tooth decay forms on your teeth, it is important to treat it with fillings as soon as possible. Untreated cavities compromise the strength of your teeth, making chips and severe breaks much more likely. Additionally, once the decay penetrates the surface of the tooth, cavities can lead to severe infections to the interior of your tooth, which eventually may lead to a root canal. To avoid this, there are several options available for treating cavities.
Different Kinds of Fillings
Amalgam
The most traditional, proven method for treating a cavity is by using an amalgam (silver-mercury based) filling. Although there have been some health concerns due to the toxicity of mercury there has been no conclusive evidence that amalgams pose any threat when used in dentistry. Today they continue to be popular for durability and they are the best choice for larger cavities that must endure the stresses of heavy chewing.
Composite
One option to treat a cavity is a composite resin filling. Many prefer this method because we match the color of the filling to the natural shade of the tooth. This makes them practically indistinguishable from your natural teeth, while also providing significant strength as a restoration. At one time, composite fillings were best used on small to mid-sized cavities (which endure moderate chewing pressure). But today there are new composite materials that provide strong reliable restorative qualities on molars as well. Also, composite fillings require less drilling, so more of the natural tooth can be preserved.
Ionomer
Ionomer fillings consist of glass particles mixed with acrylic acids, which match your natural shade of tooth-color. These fillings are more fragile than other varieties, which is why they are only implemented on very small cavities or on tooth roots.
