Tooth Coloured Fillings
COMPLETE YOUR SMILE.
SYDNEY CBD
SYDNEY CBD
Smile Concepts is dedicated in helping you create the smile of your dreams with Tooth Coloured Fillings.
“Quality is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
There are Three Options available for restoring your teeth.
These restorations are used when you lose about 40% to 60% of your tooth structure.
They are much stronger than the plastic restorations and are made in a laboratory.
They require two visits to do.
The first visit, we remove the decay, old restoration and fractures if any.
An impression is taken and sent to a laboratory.
In the meantime a temporary filling is placed.
In the second visit, the temporary restoration is removed and the definitive porcelain inlay is placed.
These are generally done when you lose less than 40% of your tooth structure.
Composite (plastic) fillings can last a very long time.
Research shows that if you lose 40% of your tooth, you lose 90% of its strength.
Crowns (porcelain) generally done when you have lost more than 60% of your tooth structure.
Since there is not much root structure to hold a filling or an inlay, you will need to cover the whole tooth to protect it from breaking or fracturing.
CROWNS ARE GENERALLY DONE WHEN YOU HAVE LOST MORE THAN 60% OF YOUR TOOTH STRUCTURE.
A composite resin is a tooth-coloured plastic mixture filled with glass (silicon dioxide).
Introduced in the 1960s, dental composites were confined to the front teeth because they were not strong enough to withstand the pressure and wear generated by the back teeth.
Since then, composites have been significantly improved and can be successfully placed in the back teeth as well.
Composites are not only used to restore decayed areas, but are also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the colour of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.
Bonding (the placement of composite resin on the front teeth for aesthetic purposes) allows us to mould beautiful smiles like artists mould clay statutes.
These are also called Composite Veneers.
The use of a light hardened white filling allows our team to mould, shape, and sculpt your tooth without worrying about time or having to rush through the white filling procedure.
Once we are sure the white filling looks great, it is then hardened using a dental curing light.
When the light is placed close to the white filling material, the white filling material begins to change and harden.
Following preparation, the dentist places the composite in layers, using a light specialised to harden each layer.
When the process is finished, the dentist will shape the composite to fit the tooth.
The dentist then polishes the composite to prevent staining and early wear.
It takes the dentist about 10-20 minutes to place a composite.
Placement time depends on the size and location of the cavity-the larger the size, the longer it will take.
Prices vary, but composites average about one-and-a-half to two times the price of a silver amalgam filling.
Most dental insurance plans cover the cost of the composite up to the price of a silver filling, with the patient paying the difference.
As composites continue to improve, insurance companies are more likely to increase their coverage of composites.
Aesthetics are the main advantage, since dentists can blend shades to create a colour nearly identical to that of the actual tooth.
Composites bond to the tooth to support the remaining tooth structure, which helps to prevent breakage and insulate the tooth from excessive temperature changes.
After receiving a composite, a patient may experience post-operative sensitivity.
Also, the shade of the composite can change slightly if the patient drinks tea, coffee or other staining foods.
The dentist can put a clear plastic coating over the composite to prevent the colour from changing if a patient is particularly concerned about tooth colour.
Dr. Manish Shah is a cosmetic dentist with a special interest in porcelain veneers, dental implants and Invisalign in Sydney. He is also a medical doctor with an expertise in sleep & craniofacial pain medicine practising at Smile Concepts.
A smile can open doors and change lives.
