Baron Dental Clinic

Composite Filling and Bonding

Composite fillings are aesthetics white fillings which are directly applied with a minimum of loss of dental tissue and produced in the teeth color. This type of filling has been known for years but was not preferable due to its physical characteristics –resistance to pressure and tension- and weaknesses in bonding to dental tissue. However, thanks to the advancements that eliminated those weaknesses, it has become the most common filling material.

 

Composite fillings have replaced the so-called silver & mercury-based amalgam fillings. More aesthetic composite fillings that are less harmful for dental tissue are frequently used by dentists today. In addition to their pros with regards to aesthetics, composite fillings are attached to teeth by bonding systems as opposed to amalgam fillings that use mechanical attachment. Therefore, there is no need to use extra material from healthy dental tissue in composite fillings to enable attachment.

Thanks to the advancements in bonding systems, composite fillings are used for cavities and various dental problems, such as covering up diastemas, repairing broken teeth, and aesthetic smile design (with minimal tissue loss).

Composite fillings can be used for 10-15 years when they are well cared for, the same as amalgam fillings. Then, a renewal might be necessary. The life span of composite fillings will be shorter for individuals who use their teeth inappropriately by acts such as cracking nuts with their teeth, eating nails, and chewing ice.