Tooth Coloured Fillings

Your dentist has just discovered a cavity in one of your teeth. Now What?

Dentist’s have four basic types of filling materials to repair a tooth, plastic (resin), porcelain, silver amalgam and gold. Each material has its pros and cons and it is important for you to have a basic understanding of the benefits and problems with each material so you can make the decision that is best for you.

Plastic/Composite Fillings

The most popular tooth coloured fillings are plastic because they look great and are moderately priced.

Porcelain Tooth Fillings

If aesthetics is most important to you then the best choice of filling material is porcelain. Porcelains will best match the colour and characteristic appearance of your teeth and it has good bio compatibility and durability but can chip, crack or break.
Porcelain fillings are bonded to the teeth with a form of the plastic filling material. Porcelain can be used successfully for the front and back teeth too.

Amalgam Tooth Fillings

Amalgam is commonly referred to as silver fillings because it’s a mixture of metals such as mercury, silver, copper and tin. An amalgam filling may have sensitivity to cold foods and drinks after placement for a few days or even longer. In addition, these silver fillings often discolour the tooth and surrounding gum.

Gold Tooth Fillings

The best filling material dentistry has to offer is gold. The gold alloy developed by dentistry matches the physical properties of enamel and dentin better than any other material. It means gold is the closest material to replacing lost tooth tissue with similarly behaving tissue. The one physical property of teeth that gold does not match is colour.

Gold fillings give the tightest seal to the tooth. Gold does not chip, crack or break. As a result gold fillings last the longest. Gold is an inert metal which does not corrode or tarnish. Best of all, gold is the most biocompatible filling material we have. If health is your main concern and you like fillings to last “forever” then gold is your best option. At St. Andrew’s Dental Centre in Aurora, Ontario, Dr. Angela Morales recommends gold for molars on teeth that don’t show when you smile and porcelain for the teeth that do show when you smile.

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