Choosing White Fillings

Silver amalgam fillings are no longer the only option if you have cavities. White fillings offered by your Manassas, VA, dentist, Dr. Thao Bui-Nguyen, offer a discreet way to restore decayed teeth.

How do white fillings work?

You won't notice any difference when your dentist places a white filling in your mouth during your visit to the Manassas dental office. After the decay is removed, the tooth is cleaned, and a material called composite resin is added to fill the tooth.

Composite resin is a flexible material made of powdered glass and plastic. The resin is tinted to match common tooth shades, which makes your filling blend in with your tooth. After the filling is added to the tooth, your dentist uses a curing light to harden it.

Do white fillings offer any advantages in addition to improved appearance?

White fillings provide a few benefits that make them a good choice. When your dentist removes a cavity, she must also remove a small area of the healthy structure surrounding the decayed area of the tooth. If you choose a white filling, only a small amount of healthy structure needs to be removed, which helps keep your tooth strong. Composite resin bonds to your tooth enamel when it's exposed to the curing light, which also strengthens your teeth.

Your teeth may be more likely to crack if they're filled with silver amalgam. The metal contracts and expands when exposed to hot and cold temperatures. Constant contraction and extraction may eventually stress teeth, causing cracks to appear. Since composite resin doesn't react to temperature changes, it never contracts or expands.

White fillings protect and enhance your smile. Call your dentist in Manassas, VA, Dr. Thao Bui-Nguyen, at (703) 361-3261 if you think you have a cavity or want to replace your old silver fillings.