How Tooth-Colored Fillings Are Used in Cosmetic Dental Services

Cosmetic dental services like tooth-colored fillings can repair and rebuild decayed, damaged, or deformed teeth. Better known as dental bonding, this procedure involves using composites that are color-matched with the patient’s teeth to restore the appearance of their teeth. The composites are a blend of plastics and glass.

How cosmetic dental services like tooth-colored fillings are used to enhance your smile

Here are a few of the ways that a dentist might use tooth-colored fillings to improve the way that a patient’s smile looks.

1. To restore decayed teeth

Tooth decay is one of the most common problems that dentists treat. It is caused by the acids created by bacteria in the mouth. These microorganisms form a sticky film called plaque, where they convert the sugars in food particles into acids that damage teeth. To make things worse, plaque calcifies into tartar, so it can no longer be removed by brushing and flossing.

Tooth decay can make tiny holes, called cavities, appear in the tooth, and these can cause parts of a tooth to break apart. Tooth decay can also open up the pulp chamber when left untreated, leaving the nerve and soft tissues there exposed to bacteria in the mouth.

Silver amalgam fillings were once the standard way to treat tooth decay, but they have a grey color that makes repairs noticeable. Composite resin fillings have emerged as a more popular alternative because they can be color-matched with the patient’s teeth. These composites can also be used to rebuild decayed teeth structures, restoring the tooth’s aesthetic.

2. To cover up discoloration

Some stains, like those caused by decay, tetracycline antibiotics, or overexposure to fluoride, do not respond to the bleaching agents used for teeth whitening treatments. Tooth-colored fillings provide a non-invasive way to cover up such stains. The dentist adds the composite to the tooth in layers until any discoloration is completely covered up.

3. To fix damaged teeth

Composite bonding can be used to fix mild to moderate damage to teeth structures, like chips. The composite is added to the tooth and molded as needed to restore its appearance. The dentist then uses ultraviolet light to harden the restoration. Repairs made with composite bonding can last up to five years, and follow-up treatments can be performed as needed.

4. To cover up spaces between teeth

Abnormal spaces between teeth can ruin any smile. Fortunately, composite bonding can be used to close up these spaces. The composite is placed in the space between two teeth and molded in a way that makes the tooth look natural.

It is a non-invasive approach to addressing the issue. Using restorations like crowns to close the gap would require the dentist to remove enamel from the patient’s teeth, and there is no way to reverse that.