Dental restoration is the process of restoring the integrity and function of a tooth structure that is damaged or missing due to decay. The restoration of a tooth’s function and form requires the preparation of the tooth and the placement of restorative materials, tooth fillings.
Tooth Filling
A tooth filling is used to restore a damaged tooth to its normal shape and function. The dentist first removes the decayed tooth structure, cleans the affected part, then fills the cleaned out tooth cavity with a filling material. Tooth filling helps prevent further tooth decay by closing off spaces where bacteria may enter. The type of filling is determined by the extent of the tooth repair required, the patient’s allergic reaction to some materials, the area where the filling is needed, and the cost.
Tooth Colored Fillings
Tooth colored fillings restore a damaged tooth to a natural looking appearance. This technique, also known as white filling, restores a decayed or fractured tooth and cosmetically modifies its shape, color, and size.
Colored tooth fillings were developed in the 1960s using a composite material prepared from silica and plastic resins. Technological advancement provided improvements to the material regarding aesthetics and durability. Colored tooth fillings were initially intended for cosmetic purposes and were mainly used in the front teeth repair. They are now used also to repair the back molars that require filling materials with more strength while more polished fillings are used for the front teeth.
Colored tooth fillings, created with composite resin, are found to be as equally effective in filling cavities as the past, long-used silver amalgam, an inexpensive and wear-resistant filling used for many years. Composite resin contains filler particles bound by a hard matrix material.