Four Kinds of Cavity Fillings

You cannot avoid cavities no matter how meticulous you are about the food you eat. Once your saliva mixes with food, it automatically leads to enamel weakening. This degradation adds up and creates holes on the teeth. These holes are known as the cavities, which need to be filled to prevent further teeth destruction.

There are four kinds of cavity fillings: porcelain, resin, amalgam and gold. To know the perfect filling, do not just consider the aesthetic aspect. Look at the tooth location and cavity size. Moreover, consider budget constraints and time availability.

Porcelain

This kind of filling is closest to the enamel color. Porcelain is a durable and stain-free material made from ceramic. This filling can be applied to all cavity sizes and kinds of teeth. The downside is porcelain consumes more cash and time. Dental insurance comes in handy when getting porcelain filings. Due to the complex application of porcelain, one must allot two days to complete filling.

Resin

Resin’s color is also close to enamel, although it is made out of plastic and pseudo-glass particles, which makes it easy for the lubbock tx dentist to apply. This filling, however, can only be applied to shallow cavities since it causes a negative reaction to teeth pulp. Unlike porcelain, resin is more affordable.

Amalgam

A pioneer of fillings, amalgam is a mixture of alloy and mercury, which makes it stronger than teeth. Many lubbock tx dentist groups have been using amalgam for two centuries. Amalgam is only for small cavities and molars since it requires support from other teeth. This filling does not consume too much time and money. The amalgam filling can be completed in one session. However, its poor aesthetic value and its mercury content, which might cause mouth allergies, can be considered as its downsides.

Gold

This is often used to establish one’s social superiority. Gold is the most durable kind of filling. Like porcelain, gold is flexible and complex. This filling can be applied to all cavity sizes and kinds of teeth. It also requires two sessions since it is difficult to achieve an accurate fit. In the first session, the oral surgeons lubbock tx perform decay removal and gold shaping procedures. In the second session, they do the gold installation.