Fillings

When teeth become damaged from decay or fracture, they can often be repaired with a simple filling if enough tooth structure remains. Decay occurs when acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves away tooth structure, forming a "cavity," or hole, in the tooth. Cavities commonly form on the biting surface, in-between, and near the gumline of our teeth. Regular x-rays are important to detect cavities in-between teeth, because that type of cavity cannot be seen on exam alone.

Decades ago, the best available filling material was amalgam, a mixture of silver and other metals, including a small amount of mercury. Dental biomaterials have advanced to a point where tooth-colored composite resin fillings, which are in the plastic family, are just as functional and much more aesthetic than the traditional amalgam fillings. Although no evidence exists that amalgam fillings are harmful in any way, we use exclusively tooth-colored filling materials so we can provide the best combination of function and appearance.