Tooth Colored Fillings

Gone are the days when having a cavity filled meant you walked out of the dentist's office with a mouth full of silver. The doctors actually bond (chemically and physically attach) tooth-colored resins into areas previously affected by tooth decay. These fillings are permanently and rapidly hardened by exposing them to a special light.

	Before
	After

Tooth-colored, bonded fillings have the following advantages:

• Because the fillings are adhesive in nature, less tooth structure has to be removed than with silver fillings.
• A tight seal is created between the filling, the tooth, and the nerve, which cannot be accomplished with conventional silver fillings.
• In the event of future problems, these fillings can be added to or repaired while silver fillings must be replaced entirely.
• They look great!