You brush and floss each day to prevent cavities, but sometimes teeth suffer decay anyway. Cavities become worse over time and cause serious complications if left untreated, so it’s extremely important to visit your Bronx dentists at the very first sign of a cavity.
We treat your cavities with strong and durable fillings designed to keep your teeth protected from future decay. By eating tooth-friendly foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, visiting your dentist regularly, and avoiding high-sugar snacks, you can continue to enjoy a bright, white, healthy smile for years to come.
What are dental fillings?
Dental fillings are used routinely in dental treatments to address cavities and decay. After the portion of your tooth affected by decay is cleaned and removed, a filling is added to “fill” the resulting empty space or hole.
We offer a few different types of fillings to meet your unique needs:
The different types of fillings
What you need to know
Composite fillings have become very popular. They are formulated with soft resin and plastic materials that harden under a blue “curing” light. Composite fillings can be created to match your exact natural tooth color, which makes them an attractive choice.
Porcelain fillings, also known as inlays or onlays, are bonded directly onto your damaged tooth. These durable and attractive fillings are tooth-colored and even resistant to stains from coffee, tea, and wine. However, since porcelain fillings are also more brittle than other types of fillings, they may not work for everyone.
Gold fillings aren’t as common as they were in the past, but they’re still used thanks to their longevity and durability. Gum tissue tolerates gold fillings well, so you don’t need to worry about a bad reaction to the metal.
Why do you need a filling?
It might be tempting to ignore a small cavity in your mouth, but cavities wreak havoc on your oral health and trigger many dangerous side effects. If you aren’t feeling pain currently from your cavity, you likely soon will. Consider these potential consequences of leaving a cavity untreated:
It’s not worth the risk! One simple filling can preserve your oral health.
Mercury free dental filings
You’ve probably heard of silver amalgam fillings, also known as metal fillings. Their mixture of silver, tin, zinc, copper, and mercury makes silver fillings strong, durable, and affordable. In the event silver/amalgam filling is the best course of treatment for your decay and you are concerned about mercury exposure, please read the ADA's statement on the safety of dental amalgam. After extensive research, they have deemed the trace levels of mercury in amalgam restorations to be safe. However, we understand this concern from our patients and due to the potential health complications linked to mercury exposure, we typically do not recommend silver fillings.
Tooth-colored fillings are mercury free and provide an exceptional filling alternative for most patients. In addition, they blend in seamlessly with the rest of your teeth. Our dentists will consult with you to choose the best dental filling to resolve your cavity and improve your oral health.