Fillings

The most common dental restoration is a "filling."  A filling is used to replace a part of a tooth that is missing or to replace a diseased area of a tooth.  There are many different materials that we use for fillings, depending on a patient's unique dental needs.

Before your treatment begins, we will discuss all of your options and help you choose the best filling type.  The most common filling materials are:

• Composite resin (tooth-colored fillings) - easily the most common filling material; multiple shades are available to make the filling practically invisible
• Glass ionomer - this is a type of composite resin that isnt as "cosmetic" as other materials, but it releases fluoride into the tooth where it is placed; this greatly makes the tooth resistant to decay
• Dental amalgam - while metal fillings are quickly falling out of favor with most dentists, there are certain situations when they are still the material of choice