{"id":616,"date":"2019-05-08T18:30:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T18:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pvcompletedentistry.com\/blog\/?p=616"},"modified":"2019-05-17T18:33:45","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T18:33:45","slug":"a-dentist-explains-how-dental-fillings-have-improved-over-the-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvcompletedentistry.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/a-dentist-explains-how-dental-fillings-have-improved-over-the-years\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dentist Explains How Dental Fillings Have Improved Over the Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For much of human history, there wasn\u2019t a reliable way to\nrepair dental damage like cavities or fractures. With modern dentistry, a tooth\u2019s\nfunction and appearance can be safely restored with a dental filling. And\nalthough metal fillings were the only option for many years, tooth-colored\nmaterials came along several decades ago and made fillings better than ever.\nKeep reading to learn how high-quality dental fillings benefit you and how this\nprocedure has changed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Importance of Repairing Damaged Teeth With Fillings <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cavities, toothaches, and fractures only get worse with time\nif they aren\u2019t treated and, in some cases, even lead to tooth loss. Dental\nfillings repair these kinds of damage so you can continue using your teeth for\nmany years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, it\u2019s important to realize that cavities are\nactually a type of infection that can spread to other areas of your body and\nbecome dangerous or even life-threatening in severe cases. Like any infection,\nit\u2019s important to take care of cavities early on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Have Fillings Changed? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Up until about 35 years ago, dentists were limited by the\nnumber of materials available. Primarily, a mixture of various metals was used,\nincluding silver and mercury. Called amalgam fillings, they\u2019re held in place\nwith mechanical retention, so a dentist must remove more of your existing tooth\nstructure to \u201cwedge\u201d the material into your tooth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dentists prefer to conserve as much of your own teeth as\npossible and, while amalgam fillings are quite strong, they simply aren\u2019t as\nconservative as tooth-colored fillings. But that\u2019s not the only benefit of this\nmore modern material! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Benefits of Tooth-Colored Restorations? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tooth-colored fillings use a composite material that\u2019s made\nof a bio-compatible mixture of plastic, silica, and glass ionomer. Here are\nsome of the benefits they provide: <\/p>\n\n\n\n