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Does your silver amalgam fillings make you feel self-conscious every time you smile or talk? Ask your London dentist and he will tell you about the alternative to silver fillings: white composite fillings.
White composite fillings are popular alternative to amalgam fillings. Made of strong resin materials, white composite fillings are made to match the colour of your surrounding teeth. They can be placed on the front or back of your teeth.
There are several reasons why a patient may need white composite fillings, including:
• Repair amalgam or metal fillings
• Repair cracked or chipped teeth
• Sensitivity to cold or heat – this is because the composite resin material used in white fillings does not conduct changes in temperature, not as fast as gold or silver.
• Mercury-free – white fillings are ideal for patients who want mercury-free fillings.
• Reshape teeth
Many London patients prefer white fillings because they can match the translucency, texture and shade of their own natural teeth, thus eliminating the unsightly silver colour of amalgam fillings every time they smile.
Other advantages of white fillings over silver fillings are:
• Restoration of your tooth’s original strength. This is because composite fillings are bonded to the tooth, thus restoring the original durability of your teeth.
• Restoration of your tooth’s natural appearance.
• Minimal removal of tooth surface. With white composite, the size of the hole your dentist will make in your tooth for the filling is smaller as compared to that with the amalgam filling preparation.
• Less sensitivity to cold or heat.
• Lastly, white fillings are safe because they do not contain mercury.