A cavity filling, an area of tooth deterioration, is a common element of dental care. First, your dentist removes the damaged portion of the tooth, leaving a hole or empty space.

 Your dentist will then fill the area to smooth out the tooth’s surface, making it “feel” right in the mouth and preventing additional decay.

One of five materials are often used to fill the area left after removing a void. Although you may not always have a choice in the filling you will get, it is beneficial to understand the characteristics of each.

These particles are made from glass and acrylic, used most often on children because of their still-forming teeth.

They prevent additional decay by releasing fluoride into the tooth. However, they only last for a few years before breaking or wearing out since they are far weaker than composite resin. Additionally, traditional glass ionomer does not have the same color similarity to a mixed resin level as newer varieties.

Composite fillings are made from resin and plastic. A powerful curing light softens and hardens it inside the tooth. It is preferred over silver amalgam fillings because it may be colored to blend in with the patient’s natural teeth. Composite fillings also tend to fail sooner than other types. 

Composite fillings tend to fail sooner than amalgam or porcelain restorations. Every 5–10 years, they need to be refreshed. They cost more than silver as well.

Gold fillings are durable, corrosion-resistant, and may last up to 15 years with the proper maintenance. However, their price is significantly more than that of silver amalgam fillings.

Several appointments with a dentist are needed to get them just right. For this reason, getting a dental practitioner willing to provide gold as a treatment choice could be challenging. Then again, gold is long-lasting and resistant to corrosion; it might last for twenty years or more.

Similarly sturdy and long-lasting are silver amalgam fillings. Many, however, find their aesthetics to be off-putting. In addition, they are more likely to expand and compress, leading to a tooth fracture, than traditional fillings. 

Silver, tin, zinc, copper, and mercury all makeup half of this mineral mixture. It’s a go-to among dentists as a filling material since it’s strong, long-lasting, and cheap.

Typically, a silver amalgam filling will last between 10 and 12 years. Dentists also find silver amalgam a suitable filling material since it is easy to work with and doesn’t readily absorb bacteria from the mouth’s natural fluids.

The fact that they’re constructed of porcelain means they’ll last and look great for a long time. Ceramic fillings cost more than composite resin fillings, but they last longer and look like natural teeth.

Ceramic fillings are more costly than silver amalgam fillings and can wear down adjacent teeth if the porcelain becomes rough. In some cases, the dentist may need to enlarge the space to match the additional weight.