Dr. Stephen Coker can provide you with a dental filling to restore teeth damaged by decay or other minor to moderate problems.  There are several types of fillings available to meet your needs.  We invite you to call Parkway Dental at 919-380-9622 to learn more about dental fillings in Cary, North Carolina, and schedule your appointment with our caring dentist.

After diagnosing the problem and devising a treatment plan, the next step is to restore the health of your tooth. Dr. Coker will provide you with a local anesthetic so that you do not experience any discomfort during your treatment.  After we have removed the decay from your tooth, we will place the filling to restore your smile and oral function.

Your filling may be made of one of several materials.  Fillings are available in amalgam (silver), composite (tooth-colored), gold, and porcelain materials.  These restorations can be placed in a single visit to our office.  While there have been more amalgam fillings placed worldwide than any other type of filling, tooth-colored fillings are being placed more frequently in recent years because they match the remaining teeth and look like the natural tooth.

Amalgam Fillings
Dental amalgam fillings are sometimes referred to as “silver” fillings. They are the most common type of filling used in the world today. Because these fillings are silver in color, they are used to fill back teeth. Amalgam is a mix of metals such as mercury, silver, copper, and tin. However, there are many other options that are more esthetically pleasing, so please ask us what your choices are when it comes time to restoring your teeth or replacing old fillings.

Advantages:

• Least expensive
• Durable, long lasting
• Usually requires one visit
• Wears well as it holds up to chewing forces

Disadvantages:

• Color
• Contains a trace amount of mercury
• Requires removal of some healthy tooth structure
• May weaken and fracture the tooth
• Temporary sensitivity to hot and cold

Composite Fillings
Composite fillings are also called plastic or tooth colored fillings. Getting this kind of filling depends on where the tooth is in your mouth. There is a lot of force applied to the back teeth when we bite, so size and location is important when deciding to use this type of restoration. To place this filling, we remove all decay and other filling material from your tooth. A bonding material is placed and then the composite resin is put into the prepared tooth in thin layers. Each layer gets hard with the help of a special light that we hold over the tooth to cure the material. When the last layer of the filling is hard, we shape the material so it looks and feels natural.

Advantages:

• Single visit
• Conservative tooth preparation
• Does not corrode

Disadvantages:

• May wear faster than other materials
• Occasional sensitivity
• Cost more than amalgam
• Higher occurrence of recurrent decay

Gold Fillings
A gold restoration is made in the same way as a gold piece of jewelry, using the lost wax technique. A wax pattern is made to fit your tooth and then it is cast, polished, and cemented. Gold restorations are a mixture of gold and other metals such as silver and copper. The addition of these other metals make gold fillings more durable.

You will need at least two visits for a gold restoration. During the first visit, any decay or old filling material is removed, the tooth is prepared to accept a gold restoration, an impression is taken, and a temporary filling is placed.

The impression is then sent to the lab and a stone cast is made, which enables the lab to work on your tooth without your presence. The lab makes a wax pattern, which is then cast into a gold restoration. When you return for your second appointment, the gold restoration is cemented into place.

Advantages:

• Good resistance to further decay
• Wears well as – almost the same hardness as enamel
• Does not fracture under stress
• Good longevity

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• Conducts hot and cold
• Color
• Multiple visits

Porcelain Fillings
Porcelain is the most natural looking of the choices we have to restore teeth. It is used either by itself in veneers, inlays, onlays, and crowns, as well as combined with metal for crowns. Porcelain restorations require two visits. After the porcelain is cemented to your tooth, it is very difficult to notice that the tooth had any treatment at all.

Advantages:

• Color
• Resistance to surface wear
• Long lasting
• Wears well as it holds up to chewing force

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• Brittle material can fracture
• Usually requires more than one visit

Contact our office today for more information about dental fillings.