Long Lasting Amalgam Fillings Available from London Dentist.
Even as new types of filling are developed many people still chose to use amalgam fillings. As your London dentist says silver amalgam fillings still generally have the best life expectancy. Amalgam fillings are available when a hole, or cavity, has developed in one of your teeth. Cavities occur from the build up of plaque, a biofilm of bacteria, on your teeth which slowly degrades the enamel and dentin. If your cavities are not filled as they develop they will continue to erode the tooth, often at an increasingly fast rate because once they are past the enamel the material is softer.
An amalgam filling is used to fill a cavity and recreate the original shape of the tooth, without a hole. In procedure is changes depending on the individual case but will generally involve your dentist drill out the cavity to allow a cleaner shape for the filling. Once the hole has been thoroughly cleaned, the silver amalgam is then placed inside the cavity and bonds into position. Silver amalgam tend to last several years though this is highly dependent on the position of the tooth and cavity.
Depending on the positioning of the cavity, your dentist will give you a choice of fillings between the silver amalgam and a composite resin. While silver amalgam is stronger and more durable, the composite resin comes in a range of white shades allowing the dentist to blend the filling seamlessly into your row of teeth, making it almost invisible. Which one you chose will be a personal preference but your dentist will provide you with full details for each options before you have to make your decision.
