Fillings
Dental Services
Dental Implant Presentation
To provide you with a better understanding of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.
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Here at Lake Erie Dental we recommend tooth colored fillings. Years ago the majority of patients received silver/mercury fillings. These fillings are not particularly pleasing to the eye, and we know that by unavoidable design, silver/mercury fillings ultimately result in a weaker tooth structure. Porcelain inlays and Tooth Colored Restorations (onlays) create fillings that are not only beautiful (or unnoticeable) but also add strength to weakened teeth. These restorations are esthetically pleasing and very strong thanks to new bonding technologies.
Disadvantages of Silver fillings:
Silver fillings have many drawbacks. The edges of the silver filling can wear down, become weak or break. This results in the tooth not being protected and lets cavities get started once again. With age, the metal of a silver filling expands, contracts, and can split.
Silver fillings contain 50 percent mercury. They can corrode, leak and cause stains on your teeth and gums. Fortunately, silver fillings can safely be replaced with Tooth Colored Restorations.
Advantages of Tooth-Colored Restorations
There are many advantages to tooth colored restorations. Resin onlays are bonded to the teeth creating a tight, superior fit to the natural tooth. Such restorations can be used in instances where much of the tooth structure has been lost. The tooth remains intact and stronger.
Since the resin used in tooth colored restorations contain fluoride this can help prevent decay. The resin wears like natural teeth and does not require placement at the gum line, which is healthier for your gums!
The result is a beautiful smile!
Replacing Silver fillings with a Tooth Colored Restoration
You can have your silver fillings replaced with Tooth colored restorations. We do not routinely replace silver fillings just to replace these fillings. If you have silver fillings that are functioning well we do not feel it is urgent to replace them. We will continually check your filling to assure that they are functioning well and if and when they are not we will recommend they be replaced.
We understand that many patients feel as strongly as we do about having a smile that is as healthy and beautiful as possible, therefore for these patients we replace all of their silver fillings. This is a decision we allow our patients to make, we simply try to help patients make decisions that fit well for them. If you would like all of your silver fillings replaced simply let the doctor know and we will be happy to take care of this for you.