Estetica

What are they?

You can sometimes have inlays or onlays instead of fillings to repair damaged teeth. Fillings are soft to begin with and are moulded in the

tooth which has been shaped to take and hold the filling. lnlays and onlays are made outside the mouth. usually in a dental laboratory, and then glued to the tooth in the surgery.

An inlay sits in a hole in the tooth. An onlay sits on the tooth and builds up its shape. lnlays and onlays can be made in tooth-coloured

porcelain. gold or a white filling material called composite. Different materials are suitable for different parts of the mouth and different parts of the teeth.

What will my dentist do?

Your dentist will:

• normally give you a local anaesthetic to numb the area;

• remove anv old filling material and anv decaved or damaged tooth:

• use a putty-like material to record the shape of the tooth being repaired and the teeth around it – this is called taking an ‘impression`;

• give the impression to a dental technician to make the inlay or onlay;

• use a temporary filling to protect the tooth that is being repaired while you wait for the inlay or onlay to be made; and

• glue the inlay or onlay in place on your next visit -the dentist may make small adjustments. so that the tooth is comfortable to bite on.

What are the benefits?

• lnlays and onlays are strong and can last longer than fillings.

• They are especially suitable for the chewing surfaces of back teeth and for large repairs to front teeth, where it can be difficult to make a white filling look natural.

• Your dentist can match the colour to your other teeth.

What are they?

A filling replaces part of a tooth that has been lost because of decay or through accidental damage.

You may hear the dentist talk about ‘composite`. `glass inomer’ and `compomer` – these are different types of white filling.

What will my dentist do?

Your dentist will:

• usually numb the area around the tooth with an injection – but some small fillings may not need an anaesthetic;

• remove any decay. together with any old filling material. using a small, high-speed drill:

• remove any weak part of the tooth which might break later;

• wash and dry the tooth by blowing water and then air onto it (the dentist will be holding something which looks like a water pistol);

• etch the surface to be restored with a mild acid. to help the filling stick better:

• coat the surface that is to be restored with a bonding agent (which acts like cement) and then place the filling material -this is pushed into the cavity that is to be filled and it is shaped as required:

• harden the filling by pointing a bright light at it, inside your mouth (you will see the dentist and dental nurse protecting their eyes) – this is called `curing`; and trim and polish the filling as necessary.

What are the benefits?

• Unlike silver (amalgam) fillings, white filling material sticks to teeth and can form edges. so it may be effectively used to repair front teeth that are chipped. broken.

• decayed or worn. lt can also be used as a `veneer` to cover marks or discolouration that cleaning won`t remove.

• White fillings are less noticeable than silver fillings, which turn black in the mouth. White fillings come in a range of shades so they can be matched to the colour of your own teeth.

• A tooth needs less preparation for a white filling than for a silver filling.

• White fillings can sometimes be used in back teeth if there is not too much decay or damage. The NHS will not currently pay for white fillings to be placed on biting surfaces in back teeth. This is because white fillings are less durable than silver fillings under the wear and tear of chewing. White fillings are also difficult to place in back teeth. as they need very dry conditions, which can be hard to achieve right at the back of your mouth.

Estetica white fillings

If you have some cavities that need to be filled, there are many alternatives to mercury filled amalgam. In particular, you may be interested in having some  white fillings that are made from white composite. Aswell as from being safer and more durable, these fillings are far more attractive. Lucky for you, you can obtain this type of filling at Estetica.

At Estetica we will need to remove damaged tooth materials, as well as a tiny bit of healthy tissue. Interestingly enough, far less material will have to be removed in order to insert a white filling as opposed to amalgam. Since less of your natural tooth is removed, you can have peace of mind knowing that the structure will remain in good health for a longer period of time. This may help prevent the need for root canals, as well as many other kinds of procedures that are designed to manage complex tooth and gum issues.

Even though white composite fillings might have many advantages over amalgam, it is important to realize that the procedure for inserting them is a bit different. Among other things, your dentist will need to make sure that no saliva touches your tooth while it is being filled. Depending on where the tooth is, you may feel some discomfort from the shields. That said, the remainder of the procedure tends to be a bit more comfortable than what is used for amalgam. At the very least, the composite filling is not as heavy, or as hot as molten amalgam.

If you need to have cavities filled, it may be to your advantage to ask for white composite instead of amalgam. Aside from reducing your exposure to the mercury found in amalgam, you will also be receiving more durable and attractive filling. You may even find that using white filling will be more useful for preventing dental problems later on in life.