Understanding everything you need to know about the tooth filling

We need to keep our body healthy with right food and exercise. Along with taking care of the physical health one must take care of oral health too. Brushing and flossing and regular checkups can help prevent oral problems. But if due to some reasons you face some kind of dental ailment then you need to visit the dental clinic. One common problem is decay and cavity in the tooth. One solution to this problem is going for dental fillings.

Types of fillings

There are different types of fillings that dentist may perform based on the materials used for the same.

• Composite fillings: In this type of filling the resin made out of plastic and fine glass particles are used. Composite fillings can match the color of the tooth and bond directly and strongly to the tooth, reducing the need for drill.
• Ceramic fillings: The material used in this type of filling is made out of porcelain. These are expensive but give natural look and are resistant to staining.
• Gold fillings: Gold is used in this type of filling which is durable so last long. However it does not match to the color of the teeth and is highly expensive.
• Amalgam fillings: The material used in this type of filling is a mixture of silver and mercury. It is resistant to wear and is strong enough to last at least 10 years. Due to the dark color these are done in the back teeth.
• Glass lonomer: This type of filling is done on baby teeth and in people who have decay up to gums. The material used here is acrylic and a component of glass called Fluor aluminosilicate.

The dental fillings are the way to restore the damage caused by decay. The dentist first removes the rotten tooth material then cleans the area and finally fills the gap or cavity using a filling material. Closing the cavity can prevent the bacteria from entering the gap can causing further decay to the tooth.