Tooth-Colored Fillings – San Luis Obispo, CA
Small Repairs for Small Cavities
While your child is learning how to take care of their smile, they may encounter a hiccup or two along the way. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90 percent of people have had at least one cavity by the time they reach 20 years of age. In cases of severe decay, a crown is appropriate, but when the cavity is small, we at Coastal Pediatric Dentistry prefer a less invasive solution: tooth-colored fillings. Contact us to have a cavity treated with a filling and help your child have a healthy smile again!
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
To treat cavities in the past, you may have seen (or had them as a kid) amalgam fillings, which are made from a metal alloy. Not only were these fillings very noticeable, but they also required removing additional tooth structure because they were notoriously difficult to keep on teeth.
These days, fillings are made of composite resin, which consists of dental plastic and ceramic particles. This material can be shaded to match the surrounding tooth and is a much better option for treating minor decay.
The Process of Getting a Tooth-Colored Filling
If your child has a little bit of tooth decay, we will first give them a numbing anesthetic, which will prevent them from feeling the work we do. When they are numb, we will remove the decayed part of the tooth. Then, we’ll take a piece of putty-like composite resin, which is colored like the tooth, and put it into the hole. A curing light will solidify the filling, and we will make any final adjustments to the filling to make sure it fits properly and feels natural.
The Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings
As opposed to old-fashioned amalgam fillings, composite resin fillings have many advantages, not just aesthetically. In addition to being more subtle, tooth-colored fillings are also more beneficial for your child’s teeth. The material bonds well to enamel, meaning that additional tooth structure doesn’t have to be removed. Plus, because the fillings don’t have metal, they won’t react to hot or cold temperatures the way amalgam fillings have been known to do.