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Composite Fillings

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Tooth Colored White Fillings

Tooth colored fillings are also called white fillings, composite fillings, and porcelain fillings, although they’re not made of dental porcelain. They’re made of a composite material which is matched to the color of the tooth they’ll be filling.

Comparison to Old Metal Fillings:

Bonds well to our teeth: The composite material bonds well to the remaining parts of the tooth it’s filling, which means less of the tooth tissue must be removed to hold it. Amalgam (metal) fillings need more tooth to be removed, as they’re aren’t bonded to the tooth at all, but just tightly fitted into the cavity. To hold them in properly, the tooth cavity must be shaped correctly.

Takes a little longer to do: When the decayed area has been removed, the tooth must be kept free of saliva. Doctor applies an adhesive to the dry surface, and then several layers of the tooth colored material. When it’s properly filled, a laser is used for about a minute to harden the composite.

Inlays and Onlays vs. Fillings

When the tooth is too decayed or damaged for a filling, whether it’s tooth colored, gold, or metal, inlays and onlays can be done. If the tooth is also a back one, doing lots of chewing, then it needs strengthening as well as filling.

  • An inlay is a type of filling made of dental porcelain, custom-made to fit the space within that tooth, and bonded to the tooth using a composite material like the one used to do tooth colored fillings
  • An onlay is a porcelain repair to a tooth which has decay both inside it and on part of its outer surface, so that the repair must spill out over the cusp or top edge and cover part of the outside


Dental Composite

Tooth colored fillings are a good solution for decay in front teeth, as they’re made to match the tooth’s enamel. When this dental composite material was first used, in the 1960s, it was a weaker substance and not good for fillings in back teeth.

Since that time, the substance has been improved so that it is now strong enough for back teeth fillings, depending on the size and exact position of the cavity. Doctor  will examine your teeth closely before making a decision on this.