Tooth-Colored Fillings – Millersville, Maryland

Repair Broken & Damaged Teeth Flawlessly

The McCarl Dental Group team focuses each patient’s dental care plan on preventive dentistry to keep smiles healthy. However, even the most diligent patients may have a cavity or dental damage at some point, and we offer conservative dental restoration options like tooth-colored fillings for Millersville, MD dentistry patients. If you’re ready to find out more about tooth-colored fillings and our other conservative dental restoration solutions, keep reading or reach out to our dental team. 

Why Choose Tooth-Colored Fillings from McCarl Dental Group?

• Natural looking and feeling restoration
• Conservative approach maintains maximum healthy tooth structure
• Long-lasting and cosmetically flawless results

What are Tooth-colored Fillings Made From?

Our conservative tooth-colored filling restorations are made from composite resin, which is a mixture of plastic and glass. These materials are combined and shaded to seamlessly mimic the appearance of the surrounding natural teeth.

Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings VS Amalgams

For more than a century, dentists relied on metal amalgam filling to repair damaged or decay teeth. Many of our patients still have one or more metal fillings, but studies indicate that there may be negative long term health effects from these metal amalgam fillings, which often included mercury. In addition to the potentially toxic effects of mercury and other metals, the restoration process for metal fillings involves removing healthy tooth structure to create wedges that hold the filling in place. Once in position, the amalgam metal will expand and contract at a rate that’s higher than the tooth’s structure. This increases the risk for additional tooth damage, leaves space between the tooth and filling where bacteria can accumulate, and the filling may eventually break away from the tooth.

Composite resin fillings not only look great within your smile, but they also preserve more dental structure and actually strengthen the tooth. After decayed or damaged structure is removed, the putty-like composite resin is directly applied to the tooth and hardened in place. It fills in all the small crevices and chips in the dental structure, holding the tooth together firmly and sealing out bacteria. In the long term, composite resin protects and strengthens teeth, ensuring a healthier smile.

How are Tooth-Colored Fillings Placed?

Another benefit of tooth-colored fillings is how quickly and easily they can be placed in just one visit. We begin by removing decayed or damaged tooth structure and disinfecting the tooth. Next, we combine the composite resin, ensuring it blends with your surrounding teeth. Then, we apply the filling material directly to your prepared tooth where it seeps into all of the pits and grooves in the dental structure. Once molded in place, we use a curing light to harden the filling material. Finally, we smooth, seal, and polish the filling, recreating your damaged tooth structure.

How do I Care for Tooth-Colored Fillings?

After your tooth is repaired, you can go back to your daily brushing and flossing routine as usual. You should also call to schedule a visit for dental checkups and teeth cleanings two times each year, so we can help you avoid additional dental damage and monitor your filling for signs of damage. Additionally, we recommend the following changes to your daily oral hygiene routine to extend the life of your filling:

• Use a soft or ultra soft bristled toothbrush and minimally abrasive toothpastes to avoid unnecessary wear.
• Because composite resin will stain like tooth enamel, you should avoid using tobacco and eating or drinking dark-colored foods and beverages.
• If you grind or clench your teeth at night, you should wear a mouthguard to prevent damage to your teeth and the filling.
• If you participate in sports, you should wear an athletic mouthguard during all practices and competitions.
• Don’t use teeth to open packages, chew your fingernails, eat ice, or bite into other hard objects that may damage teeth.