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Dr. Bowcutt is dedicated to bringing his Cedar Park, TX, area patients the very latest in dental technology. One of those advances are the types of dental material now available, including composite fillings.
At one time, silver amalgam was primarily used for fillings. And although the silver material is still widely used, many dentists and patients alike choose composite fillings.
There are several reasons why composite fillings are preferred.:
- The composite material is tooth-colored, which means that composite fillings are virtually invisible to other people.
- The composite material is extremely strong and durable, often lasting for many years.
- The composite filling material can be used to repair a wide variety of dental issues, including: cavities, chipped teeth, cracked or broken teeth, worn teeth or filling in wide gaps between teeth.
Advantages of Composite Fillings over Silver Amalgam
Although silver amalgam is still widely used by many dentists, there are some distinct advantages that composite offers over silver amalgam. Those include the following:
- Composite material doesn’t change color over time. Silver amalgam, on the other hand, eventually turns quite dark and even black in color.
- Composite material more easily bonds to the tooth surface, as opposed to silver amalgam, which simply fills in a hole left behind in the tooth after the decay is removed. As a result, composite material actually strengthens the remaining natural tooth rather than weakening it.
- Unlike silver amalgam, the composite material does not contain mercury. While it’s true that the amount of mercury contained in silver amalgam has never been proven to be harmful, some patients are still concerned about being exposed to any amount of this toxic material.
The Procedure Involved in Getting a Composite Filling
Although the composite material is somewhat different to work with from the dentist’s point of view, the procedure involved in getting a new composite filling from the patient’s perspective is just like getting a silver amalgam filling. It starts with Dr. Bowcutt removing any existing decay, after which he thoroughly cleans the tooth surface and fills the tooth using the composite material. In almost every circumstance, our patients can receive their new composite fillings in a single trip to our office.
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