Dental Fillings
When you need dental fillings, Dr. MacConnell and the team at the Center for Family & Implant Dentistry will assess your unique situation and guide you through the entire process. Our comfortable, clean offices in Kingsport and Bluff City welcome the opportunity to help you reach maximum oral health with dental fillings.
Why Do I Need a Dental Filling?
A dental filling corrects a cavity or hole in your tooth. A cavity may have formed from bacteria in your mouth, improper brushing or flossing, or even genetics. A filling prevents further decay and stops the cavity from worsening.
What Are Fillings Made From?
Fillings have been made from many things over the years, including silver amalgams, gold, porcelain, and composite resins. It’s possible to make fillings out of all of these substances, but today most fillings are made from a tooth-colored composite that comes with several benefits.
Fillings That Look Natural
When Dr. MacConnell installs a filling, he wants it to look natural and function properly. Your tooth-colored restoration is also called a resin onlay. Starting with a crack, crevice, or hole, the dentist creates an onlay by placing the resin substance in the appropriate place and bonding it to the right tooth. He makes sure that it fits tightly into position and that it’s strong and durable.
The resin that makes up these fillings can be made in any color to match it with the rest of your tooth so that it blends in perfectly. This resin wears the same way your natural tooth does for even wear and a high degree of strength. Older fillings had to be put at the point where the gums meet the tooth. Today’s don’t, and that allows them to be placed in places that will be healthier for you. This better placement alone allows the filling to make the tooth stronger, and the filling remains durable for longer.
If you have so much damage that a filling wouldn’t be enough to save the tooth, you may need a crown or some other solution for replacing the tooth. To get a filling, there has to be enough of the tooth left to hold the filling.
Replacing Old Silver Fillings
Many patients are now replacing the silver fillings that were once so popular. Silver fillings wear down more easily, and they can weaken enough to break. In addition, they can become corroded and leak into your mouth, staining your teeth or the gums near the filling.
If you still have silver fillings, talk to Dr. MacConnell about replacing them with newer, better fillings that will not be distinguishable from the rest of your tooth. This makes them look and perform better.
Bright, Healthy Smiles Start Here
If you have had tooth decay, cracking, or another problem that requires a dental filling, call our team at the Center for Family & Implant Dentistry to set up an appointment with the dentist. We will develop a treatment plan for your unique situation and help you feel comfortable with the procedure.
